


coming home to you was easy

by tippytoetomlinstyles



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: AU, Angst with a Happy Ending, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Dom Louis, Dom/sub, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hate to Love, I suck at tags so yeah if I miss anything tell me, Multi, Paddling, Plot Twists, Schmoop, Smut, Socialite Liam, Socialite Louis, Spanking, Sub Harry, Subspace, Triggers, oh wow okay here we go, resort fic, resort worker Harry, resort worker Niall, sugar boyfriend, that's the only one I am stressing, the rest shouldn't be too triggering, they fall in love, this is one big mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-20
Updated: 2016-02-20
Packaged: 2018-05-22 05:50:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 63,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6067528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tippytoetomlinstyles/pseuds/tippytoetomlinstyles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis Tomlinson. The name that’s heard on every tabloid magazine for being the socialite son of the year with the heart of gold. Harry Styles. The broke small town boy who is just trying to find his place in the real world. </p><p>They are two unlikely paths that meet in the most unlikely of places. A luxury 5 star resort. Louis’ there to drink and have fun and enjoy his summer, while Harry is there to work his ass off as a poolside bar server to earn money for uni tuition and maybe score a mini vacation in his time off. Though Harry has a past with people like Louis and refuses to have anything to do with him, we all know Louis is a persistent bastard who doesn’t know when to take ’no’ for an answer. And thus the game of cat and mouse chase was born.</p><p>or the one where there's UK’s version of the Hamptons, Harry works there, Louis parties there, and they clumsily fall in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	coming home to you was easy

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I am so excited to be participating in Big Bang round 4! This was the perfect motivation to finish this fic as it's been over a year in the works :) It's fairly unbeta'd so I apologize for that!
> 
> Check out the playlist that was created for this fic by Sarah! : http://8tracks.com/muscadinia/coming-home-to-you-was-easy
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> Danni xx

Louis Tomlinson is giddy. He's positively giddy. The twenty four year old wakes up in his king sized bed right in the middle, he stretches out until he hears the beautiful crack of his back and sinks back into the down pillows. He giggles like a small child on Christmas, kicking his feet before throwing the cream coloured Egyptian cotton sheets off his gloriously naked body. He walks lazily through his bedroom through his ensuite bathroom and climbs into the shower, positively buzzing. 

  


Louis is rich. Like filthy rich. More money than you could ever dream of rich. His bank account is practically unlimited. Born into his family of huge socialite billionaires (or more, he never really asked because he’s never needed to know) he has always gotten whatever he wanted. In the socialite world of the UK (and even America sometimes) he’s a big name.

  


Louis likes his life, it’s easy and fun and it feels like no one could stop him. He’s not greedy about it either. He isn’t cheap or wasteful with his money, he’s very grateful for his wealth, very grateful and kind. He donates to charities more than anything; he has the money to spare. He regularly attends charity events and is often highest donator, and maybe that’s where his name gets a lot of talk. He’s often photographed for socialite magazines hoping to catch him doing anything really (he’s had his doosies with some columnists, that’s for sure) and he’s never rude when the paps try to get a picture or two. Most of all, Louis simply loves the life he has, it never ceases to excite him. And today of all days is one he always looks forward to.

  


You see today is unlike any other day in Louis Tomlinson’s luxurious life. Today is a day to be celebrated. A day to be counted down to every year. No, not his birthday. Much better than that. It’s officially his first day of summer. And that means one thing.

  


"Good morning, good morning." Louis sings into his phone as he wraps his towel around his waist. The groan on the other end is something Louis can always expect. 

  


"Lou. Summer. Sleep. Good. Piss the fuck off." Louis scoffs. 

  


“Liam, today is a beautiful day and I intend to greet the world with a bright smile. By the way, I'm bringing myself over to you in an hour in my baby and if you're a good little boy, you can drive her." Liam preens on the other end. 

  


"You're taking the boxster?!" He asks and Louis laughs. 

  


"It's the perfect summer car, she's been lonely all winter. Sentimental deserves some lovin' and I fully intend on giving her the summer of my life- I mean her life." 

  


"Lou," 

  


"Don't Lou me, Liam. Be ready." He ends the call before Liam protests and he travels into his closet. 

  


The closet is full despite the fact that five of his suitcases are filled to the brim of all his favourite designer clothing. Louis pulls himself into a pair of new Burberry early edition boarding shorts and slips a soft white cotton v neck over his torso. His vans are on his feet without socks and he makes an effort for a fringe before deeming himself ready. He puts his aviators on his head and picks up his phone, and dials the desk guy Bernard downstairs in his building’s lobby.

  


“Good morning, how may I be of assistance, Mr. Tomlinson?” The voice on the other end answers. Louis tuts.

  


“Bernie, how many times have I asked you to simply call me Louis? I’m not that posh. Mr. Tomlinson is my father.”

  


“Right. Er, how may I help you, Louis?” he asks again.

  


“Well you see, today is the very important day, Bernie boy. And I have five suitcases up here in my flat that I simply cannot lug downstairs by myself. I was hoping you could get Dean or Pat to help me bring them down to Sentimental.”

  


“Of course. Right away, Louis. I do hope you enjoy your trip, Mr. Louis.”

  


“Don’t worry Bernie, I definitely will.” He ends the call after that and makes his way into his kitchen.

  


Louis had his kitchen cleaned out completely by Amara, his housekeeper, yesterday to ensure that all the food left were non-perishable things he could keep and not worry of it going bad. What’s left in his pristine solid cherry wood cupboards are a few boxes of pasta, some cans of soup, all of his spices for cooking and a box of saltine crackers he refuses to admit have been in the cupboard since he moved in when he was nineteen. He probably should have told her to throw those out.

  


Usually his cupboards were stocked like a supermarket, all high quality foods he picks at. His freezer looks like a bare tundra, but it’s usually full to the brim with the best selections of meats and frozen vegetables and things you wouldn’t find in a normal persons freezer. His fridge would be overloaded with fresh herbs and fruits and raw veggies and juices and sodas and expensive wines that just wouldn’t fit in the bar fridge because Louis likes to stock pile his alcohol for drunken splendors when he and Liam decide it’s one of those nights. But the remainder of food in his fridge is leftover pizza from the day before when he’d indulged in a little treat from his favourite bistro. He pulls out that last two slices of delicious pizza and nukes it in the microwave, taking his first bite when it’s still piping hot. The knock on the door interrupts his eating but he can’t complain, it’s probably Pat or Dean.

  


“Coming!” he calls through a mouthful of insanely hot pizza and walks to the door. He flips the lock and smiles when the door opens and Dean is standing there, blearily eyed and looking awful.

  


“Someone’s hung over.” Louis says and Dean glares. He’s not dressed in uniform like he normally is, which is odd.

  


“Pat is gone to get Sentimental all shiny and at the front door for you, I got buzzed by Bernard on my fuckin’ day off to carry your shit down to the lobby. You better love me, Lewis.” Dean mutters as he begins to get the bags on the trolley he’d brought up with him. Louis looks at him with a smug grin.

  


“You’re my favourite bell hop, Deanie Poo.” Louis says fondly and he gets flipped off by Dean as he begins to take the luggage to the lobby for him. Louis knows he could report Dean for not doing as he asks with a cheery disposition, but Louis is in a good mood, and Dean is working on his day off, and Dean is kind of his friend, so he lets it slide.

  


Louis finishes his pizza, throws away the paper towel it sat on and double checks everything. He knows that his place will be cleaned weekly even with him not being there, Amara says a weekly dusting is mandatory and Louis knows better than to argue, so if anything is out of place he knows she’ll fix it. He rattles off in his head all of the important things he needs to bring, and then he realizes if he doesn’t have it after a weeks’ worth of packing then it wasn’t really important in the first place, and if it was, well he could always buy a new one of whatever it is. He pockets his phone and wallet, bids his beautiful overly obnoxious 3 million dollar flat a goodbye, and he locks his door and heads to the lobby.

  


As promised, his beautiful silver Porsche Boxster is sitting at the front of the building with the sun shining on it and fuck, he loves his baby. His beautiful car, Sentimental. He pushes down his sunglasses and waves his farewell to Bernard and Pat. The crisp warmth of summer hits Louis like a wave. Today the weather is good, not dreary like normal and it`s nice, the sun is peeking from the clouds and he feels nice with Sentimental’s roof down, blowing his fringe wild. He pulls up at Liam’s building moments later and honks the horn three times so he’ll hear him. When he doesn’t come out a minute later Louis goes into the building to buzz up.

  


Liam is usually an early riser, and Louis is usually the one who wants to sleep until afternoon, but not today. Liam is just inhaling a piece of toast when Louis throws open the door singing a chipper tune of la di da’s. Liam glares but Louis just grabs Liam’s suitcases (he only brought two) and begins out the door.

  


“Sentimental is waiting for you, dear.” He calls and Liam gives breathy gasp and Louis laughs in the lift to the main floor.

  


Liam and Louis grew up together. Their parents are best friends, so naturally Liam and Louis got on from the very beginning. Liam’s family are socialites too, but not as known as the Tomlinson name (maybe just a little, because Liam spends most of his free time with Louis but they don’t count that, they don’t care about it really). Their parents are right set on the two of them getting together one day, both of them still eligible bachelors and all, but Liam doesn’t fancy Louis and Louis sees Liam as a brother.  So that settles that.

  


Somehow Liam manages to beat Louis downstairs (Louis has a feeling he ran the stairs like the cross country runner Liam is, the bugger) and he’s already in the front seat of the car. Louis laughs and shakes his head, making his way over to him.

  


“Louis, Louis over here!” Louis looks to his right and grins, three of his favourite paps are here to snap some pictures. He waves at them.

  


“Hello boys. Looking for some secrets? What one shall I spill today? Hm? Well there is this one secret, and I’ll tell it to you…” He brings them in right close like if he says it loud the whole world will explode around him.

  


“It’s the first day of summer today.” He says excitedly and the paps just groan as he begins to walk away.

  


“But we already knew that! Can’t you give us some good dirt?” The one calls and Louis turns around with a shit eating grin on his face, and he waves his hand to them.

  


“Sorry boys, I’m on vacation.” He calls as he hops over the car door and into the passenger seat of Sentimental, and Liam turns the car on, and they’re off towards LHR.

  


“Ah, can’t believe it’s summer again.” Liam says as they cross into another lane. Louis grins.

  


“It does come every year, Li.” He can practically feel the glare from behind Liam’s sunglasses.

  


“You’re being a prat, Lewis. It’s not even noon, you’re up and chipper. I don’t like it. Stop.” Louis laughs a belly laugh and sighs happily as he watches London whip past him.

  


“I’m just excited. London gets boring after a while, it’s summer, and we’re going away to one of my favourite places, I have a right to be a little giddy.” Liam shakes his head as he pulls into LHR through the drive way they always take to get to the back where the private planes are.

  


“I know. ‘M excited too.” Liam tells him and Louis and he hop out of the car and begin to unload their luggage, and two airport workers come to help them, taking the luggage to the Tomlinson private airliner they’re taking. Liam finally realizes something he’d been clueless about and speaks up about it.

  


“How’re you getting Sentimental to us, Lou?” Louis smiles.

  


“Connections, Li. Dad has connections everywhere. She’ll be in the driveway of the resort in a day.” He grins and that’s that, Liam doesn’t question it.

  


Liam and Louis board the plane, and get comfortable in their reclining seats. Liam feels jittery, and Louis looks so happy he could burst. Maybe Liam is a little excited too, even if it feels like it’s asscrack o’clock in the morning (when really it’s only 10 am) he won’t let Louis have the satisfaction of knowing that though. The flight attendant (Louis thinks her name is Babs or something with a B) gets them drinks and retreats to her cubicle for takeoff.

  


“Hello, hello Mr. Tomlinson and Mr. Payne, it’s Matthews in the cockpit speaking, we’re about ready to take off, so fasten your seatbelts, and enjoy your flight!”

  


As the engines kick in, so do Louis’ nerves. He never likes take offs, but that doesn’t stop him from flying. He simply sticks a piece of gum in his mouth so his ears don’t pop, and takes a deep breath. The takeoff is effortless and smooth, and Louis heaves out big sighs of air.

  


“Varadero, Cuba here we come!” Liam says excitedly to Louis’ surprise, and Louis is so freaking happy, he knew Liam was excited.

  


Louis is so excited he could positively burst. His eyes trail to the window where outside it he can see blue skies and clouds and it’s beautiful, and it also means he’s one step closer to his favourite vacation spot in the world, one step closer to quite possibly the best summer of his life. And he simply couldn't wait for it to start.

  


*

  


The sun was beating down on his back, he was sure he was sweating right through his tee shirt, and it was only half noon. Harry hates himself for wearing the black button up top instead of the white one he could’ve chosen. He should’ve listened to Niall, but of course he didn’t and now he’s paying for it. He won’t let Niall know he was right though, he can’t give him that satisfaction. He goes over to the one bar area of the pool deck and slinks into the shade for a moment of freedom from the blistering sun. He puts his hands on his knees and leans over, catching his breath. He really made a bad decision of wearing black. He’s going to get heat stroke if he continues to work through the day in this shirt, but he doesn’t have an alternative.

  


At twenty one years old, Harry Styles is finding his place in the real world. His hometown of Holmes Chapel just felt too small for another summer, and he really wanted a chance to explore, but he also really needed money to do said exploring. It didn’t take him long to find a medium between his want for adventure and his need for cash. You see, his best friend Niall has spent every summer in Cuba, at a five star resort in Varadero for the past three years, not as a guest, but a worker. It’s the resort that anyone who is a _somebody_ in the fame world of the UK (and some of the US) goes to spend their summer vacation. It’s like the Hamptons but not at the same time.

  


Niall works as the main bartender of one of the outdoor bars by the pool area. Of course he does other things besides that, but that’s usually where he works. It’s only a summer job of course, but every year he works there he rakes in enough money to keep him afloat back home, apart from his part time DJ gigs. So having Niall as a best friend gave Harry an advantage. It just so happened that when Harry told Niall he wanted a job for the summer, some way to get away and a chance to see a place he’s never been before, Niall came up with the brilliant idea of talking to his boss, and it turned out that there were spots available for Harry to get a job. By some sheer luck he got it, and a week before summer is officially in in the UK Niall and Harry fly off first class (courtesy of Royal Riu Resort, their employers) and arrive in Varadero to get ready for their summer as employees of the resort.

  


It didn’t take long to learn the ropes as a poolside bus boy. Niall, already knowing how to do his job, walked around beside Harry and the trainer, teasing Harry as he learned how to take orders and take an order back to the bar and then deliver it back to the right customer.  He also learnt how to put the charges on people’s tabs, and all of the rules as an employee. The only problem sweet cherub Harry had; Harry was a clumsy baby deer on brand new legs. You’d think after his growth spurt at eighteen Harry would be used to his gangly limbs and have better control over them by now but he really is as clumsy as Bambi when he first learns to walk. He trips over nothing often, mostly his own two feet in the fancy trainers employees wear, and so for the first week being there he’s really only learning how to not fall in the pool with a drink on his tray.

  


The customers were rather nice. There was a sticker on his name tag that read ‘trainee’ even though he was told he didn’t have to wear the sticker anymore (he’d been at it for a week now) he chose to because the customers saw the sticker and gave him a polite smile if he slipped up a little bit. Of course he would have to take it off eventually but until he got a better feel for it he wasn’t taking any chances without the little security blanket of the sticker. Though most were nice, there were a few, most of the stuck up prat socialites that Harry tend to try to stay away from until he was literally hailed down by one, with too much money from their daddies wallets than brains, that were often quite rude and snippy with him even if he was his ever so charming self. They were often nasally voiced from one too many nose jobs and they gave him a glare that always meant ‘don’t touch me, I’ll catch your poor germs’ as soon as he’d given them their drink they’d ordered.

  


That was one thing, or rather the only thing he really hated about the job. Everything else was lovely, the tourists were nice, the tips were awesome, and the living accommodations weren’t too shabby either in his opinion (a hotel room at a cheap price at a neighbouring hotel the resort owned and food was completely free for him, three square meals a day). The only thing that ruffled Harry’s feathers were the socialites that came to the resort like it’s some Beverly Hills Hamptons dream place. They come, they take over the pool like they own the place, and they’re typically all stuck up snobs. There are a few decent people, of course, but most just hate the idea that they even have to have the boy in their presence. Harry often wonders why they’re so, well he doesn’t want to use the word cruel but if the shoes fits, cruel to staff. The staff were there to help and get them whatever they needed when they asked, the least they could do was be nice to them. It was safe to say that was the only part of this job he hated, was the stuck up snobs with more money than brains.

  


Harry uses his thumb to push back his curls he really should get trimmed because they’re quite long and in his eyes and sticking to the back of his neck like they’re glued there. He looks up when he sees feet in front of him and he looks up in time to see Niall looking down at him, grinning smugly. Harry glares and grabs his serving tray off the counter and is about to walk away when he’s pulled back by his elbow and Niall is looking at him worriedly.

  


“Harry, you’re like really red in the face. Boss isn’t gonna be happy if you’re passing out because you’re an idiot for wearing black. Here…” Niall hands him a white folded fabric, and Harry looks at him as if he’s willing to shove the shirt right back at him.

  


“Haz, don’t be a prat. Take the shirt, change into it and get back to work.” Harry sighs but listens, changing his shirt right behind the back of the bar, and he sticks the black shirt in Niall’s backpack before giving Niall an appreciative look as he feels so much better in the lighter white button up. He clips his name tag on his shirt and picks up his tray, and Niall is handing him a glass of water.

  


“Drink it, mate.” Niall says quickly before he goes over to the girl in the bikini looking for her fruity ‘sex on the beach’ drink. Harry complies, gulping the water down to rehydrate. It’s fucking scorching out and right now he’d much rather be in his hotel room vegging out in front of the air conditioner, but where’s the fun in that?

  


“Waiter!”  He hears and turns, he immediately feels like shuddering. Standing on at least six in stilettos in a bathing suit that hardly covers anything is a prissy princess with her hands on her hips. He walks over to her, ready to get his drink order pad out.

  


“How may I help you, miss?” He asks in his formal ‘I fucking hate your kind of human but I’m tolerating you because it’s my job’ voice.

  


“I ordered an apple martini five minutes ago, where is it?” She asks as her blond hair swishes behind her in her sleek ponytail, and Harry knits his eyebrows.

  


“Miss, I was not the waiter that took your order, so I’m not sure where your drink is. If you’d like, I can go ask the bartender about it, and see if the orders been taken and filled.” Harry says calmly and the girl looks like she’s about to see red.

  


“You mean to tell me my drink may not even be placed yet!? What kind of resort is this?” Harry bites the inside of his cheek to keep from going off on this girl, he breathes in deep and exhales through his nose.

  


“Give me a moment, miss. I will just go see, I’m sure the drink is ready and the server just got busy.” He turns quickly and hauls ass over to Niall, and he knits his eyebrows.

  


“Did you get an order for an apple martini?” Niall shakes his head.

  


“Fuck, make one quick before this chick rips me a new one.” Niall makes fast, expertly measuring out the alcohol and giving it to Harry to take to her. Harry walks quickly, as quickly as he can as the green liquid sloshes in the glass on his tray. The girl picks the drink up off the tray before Harry can politely say ‘here you go, miss’ and she sips it as if it could be poison. He gives a shrug and turns to walk away without so much as a thank you, and Harry nearly snaps his tray in half over his leg when she does it.

  


“Stupid rich priss,” Harry mutters under his breath and begins clearing a table of drinks that people have left and he carries the glasses to the sink behind Niall.

  


“About ready to murder someone Hazza?” Harry nods when Niall asks, brushing his curls back again.

  


“Alright well, go clear table seven and do a once over for any orders and then take your lunch break okay?” Harry gives Niall a ‘life saver’ face because he was overloaded with orders and missed his original lunch break, letting another go in his place, so the fact that he gets his now makes him want to cry of happiness. He makes quick about cleaning up and he’s so happy for once that everyone has a drink and no one needs him to take an order.

  


“Be back by three for the final countdown.” Niall winks and Harry smiles, Niall likes to call the last hour of work a final count down. Usually when all is said and done the two would return back to the hotel and go to the bar for an after work drink.

  


Harry stumbles over his feet as he makes his way past the resorts main entrance (one of the rules is unless directly told by a boss or staffer higher up or if you’re doing a work shift in there, employees are not to go within the hotel of the resort) and he slinks into the back entrance to the kitchen, and goes into the room where employees eat in their own dining room (which is really a room with six tables and twenty four chairs and an open window to the kitchen so they can order). He orders fish and chips because it’s safe and he’s missing home a bit, and he eats alone at the one table so he scrolls through his twitter feed as he munches on chips.

  


His Twitter feed is mainly friends talking about their summers, their posts they make to try and get retweets (and usually fail) and then there’s the news, from home and from around where he’s staying. Rumour has it another socialite is coming in today, and Harry has to scoff and put his phone away before he throws it. He can only hope it’s a polite one.

  


It flies by too fast, and he’s making his way back to Niall feeling better than before now that the ache of his stomach is gone and makes him feel less likely to hurl in some girls shoe because it’s so fucking hot he wants to melt like a snowman.

  


“Almost there, H. You’re doing well.” Niall comments as he gives him the cran-tini someone orders as soon as he gets back. Harry pushes his hair off his face and gets to work. The last hour is always the fastest and slowest. It’s finally over.

  


“Oh god, get me back to the hotel, I need my air conditioner, stat.” Niall just laughs and shoves his hair back under his snapback that he draws out of his rucksack.

  


“You’re adjusting, H. We going for a drink later?” Niall asks and Harry sighs because yes, he needs it.

  


“Get me drunk.” Harry tells him and Niall laughs. Tomorrow is their day off.

  


“Alright. Let’s get home first, yeah?” Harry nods and follows Niall to the shuttle bus that the resort offers for employees staying at the hotel. They claim their seats at the back and let the shuttle fill up. Perrie sits by Jade, the other bar’s bartender, in the seats in front of them, and they turn around at the mention of ‘drunk’ behind them.

  


“Drinks?” They ask in almost relief and Niall nods, he waves his arms as Zayn boards the shuttler last minute before it leaves. Harry looks out the window as Zayn sits beside Niall.

  


“’s his problem?” Zayn asks as he sits, and Niall sighs.

  


“Rough day for ‘im. Gonna get drunk later, you in?” Zayn scratches at his scruffy chin, before meeting the bright blue mischievous eyes of Perrie and nods.

  


“Bless. We’re having a right proper smash up then!” Niall says excitedly. The five agree to meet at the bar at five, so Harry has an hour to have a cold shower and walk around his room naked with the AC on full blast. He finally feels like he’s not smothering in heat, so that’s good.

  


When Harry gets to the bar he’s early, but he figures they’re pre drinks. Maybe Niall will convince the others to go out to a club, but Harry just wants to get smashed here and sleep it off tomorrow. He drinks a beer before asking for vodka, and when Niall sits beside him they order another shot of vodka before Niall buys pints. By the times the others get there Niall and Harry are chanting at the television showing a footie game over a team they don’t even like, which means they’re having a good time.

  


In the end they decide that after getting piss drunk at the bar the best idea is to go back to their hotel rooms and crash. Harry delivers Niall to his room, lets him pass out half on half off the bed, and puts two Paracetamol tablets and a glass of water on the side table before leaving. He gets into his ice box room, turns the AC to normal settings and manages through bleary drunk eyes to get a glass of water before stripping down to his boxers and falling face first onto his comfy hotel bed. It’s nothing like his bed a home but it’s familiar now and not too bad. He closes his eyes at nine o’clock on a Friday night, and doesn’t think twice about doing anything other than being dead to the world.

And despite Harry’s pet peeves about some guests, despite his tad feeling of home sickness, despite the feeling finally settling in that he’s actually twenty one now and he’s a real working adult now, Harry truly loves it here. He loves the feeling of being here; the feeling of being in a place so exotic and so different from what he’s used to, that every new thing he does is an adventure. And when he thinks about it, Harry realizes that it is totally going to be worth it. He can just tell, this summer is going to be a good one.

  


*

  


The first thing Louis did when he got to Cuba was message his overly worried mother. She’s not one for trusting planes (even if they do own two private jets that are the safest in their classes) and she likes to know that Louis arrives safely so before he can forget he made sure to send a ‘made it here alive’ message and receives a thank you in reply. He can immediately feel the definite climate change, sure London is hot in summer (even though it’s usually raining or cloudy) but nothing compares to this. Louis could feel a film of sweat quickly developing on the back of his tee shirt. The sun was beating down and it felt lovely and a little smothering at the same time and Liam looked red in the face and his forehead was shiny but Louis doesn’t point that out.

  


Their next mission after getting off the plane was collecting their luggage from the luggage guys at the back of the plane so the bags don’t get sent to baggage claim; they pile them neatly onto a trolley cart provided by the airport for their convenience before pushing the trolley into and through the airport, leaving behind the jet for the pilot to return it to London. Liam and Louis spot some paparazzi at the side of the airport, they knew there would be some, and they smile but keep their heads down as they continued through the airport and look for their driver. A man with a sign reading **Mr. Tomlinson & Mr. Payne** in big scratchy scrawl stood at the main entrance and Louis and Liam go to him with smiles. He greeted them and escorted them to the car that drove them the rest of the way to Varadero.

  


“It’s so nice to be back.” Louis sighed as he sits in the plush back seat of the car. Liam hummed in agreement.

  


“When we get in the first thing I’m doing is falling face first into my bed and sleeping.”

  


Louis laughed at that but he couldn’t blame Liam, it was a long flight (ten hours) and the time difference was definitely something to get used to (Cuba being five hours earlier than the UK). Louis just wanted to sleep so he could wake up in the morning and spend his first day of paradise relaxing on the beach.And that’s exactly what they did. They got to the Royal Riu resort and they were shown to their rooms (which are the biggest rooms in the resort, practically their own flats if they’re honest) and then fell asleep instantly. Their first days are spent on the beach, and going to visit his favourite places that he had missed since the last time he was here.

  


However today, Louis wakes up at half noon to the smell of bacon and his eyes open and focus on Liam sitting at the end of his bed with a giant smile on his face and a towel around his beck, sweaty from working out. He holds a plate of food of Louis’ favourite breakfast foods on a silver platter, literally.

  


“You’re a saint.” Louis says in his husky morning voice, making grabby hands at the plate until Liam give it to him.

  


“What do you want to do today?” Louis looks up from his plate with chipmunk cheeks full of food, and he makes an attempt to swallow.

  


“Pwool?” he says around his food, and Liam looks disgusted. Louis smiles and Liam sighs.

  


“You really should learn to swallow before you speak.” Liam says and pats his shiny face with the towel.

  


Louis shrugs and Liam reaches to the floor and produces a glass of orange juice. Louis gives him big eyes that mean ‘god bless you’re my best friend and you know me’ and takes the drink gratefully. Liam scrolls through his phone, and he holds it out for Louis to see. It’s an article on a socialite gossip site, their latest victim, Liam. It’s some bullshit article about Liam being less rich than Louis and ‘bumming’ a ride to Cuba because his family doesn’t own a private jet and again about how Liam could be using Louis for his money and not his friendship. If it weren’t Liam’s phone Louis would throw it across the room and let it shatter.

  


“That’s rubbish, you know that. I know that, Li.” Liam sighs and nods, taking his phone back and closing the article. Louis finishes his breakfast and Liam is staring at his feet, and Louis puts a hand on his thigh and he looks up.

  


“Don’t go all puppy dog sad on me, Payno, we’ve got serious tans to work on and then we get to go pick up my baby from the parking lot.” Liam gives a small smile to Louis, and Louis sighs.

  


“Li, you’re going to be in the news like that whether you like it or not. Look at the bullshit articles they come up with about me sometimes. I don’t let them get to me; I just put the ass in sass and ignore 'em.” Louis says and Liam gives him a look, and Louis raises his eyebrows.

  


“What?” he says and Liam shakes his head.

  


“Just remembering all the nights we’ve had to get drunk because a tabloid wrote some awful shit about you.” Louis scowls at him.

  


“Okay, so I don’t always brush it off, leave me be, you meanie.” Louis sticks his tongue out at Liam and there’s a laugh from Liam and Louis knows he’s made him feel better so that’s a mission accomplished in his books.

  


“So it’s a pool day?” Liam asks and Louis grins.

  


“Of course. Let’s go scope out some hot ass men and-”

  


“Lou,” Louis pouts at him.

  


“Alright, alright we’ll look at the girls too. I must say, boys here are so much hotter than home, and the girls are like Paris Hilton wannabes.” Louis waves a dismissive hand, and throws the soft sheet off his bottom half. It’s not like they haven’t seen each other’s bits before, though Liam tends to look away out of respect, Louis couldn’t care less. He’d stand in his rooms window and give a show to the world if he wouldn’t be paparazzi’s rent money with those pictures.

  


“I’m gonna go to my room, shower and get my trunks on, I’ll meet you in the lobby?”

  


“Why’re you showering you’re going to go in the pool and swim laps anyways, the girls eat up sexy man sweat.” Liam wrinkles his nose.

  


“I don’t think they want to be all up on a body this smelly. I’d prefer to shower.” Louis sighs.

  


“You’re going to get wrinkly before you even go into the pool area Liam, just borrow a pair of my trunks- or better yet here, these are yours anyways.” Louis flings a pair over to him and Liam knits his eyebrows at Louis.

  


“What if they’re dirty?” He asks baffled that Louis would expect him to wear a dirty pair instead of clean.

  


“For god’s sake Leemo, they’re clean they came from my clean swimming bag, see?” he points and Liam does see, so he relents and slides the black with blue and grey striped trunks on. Louis pulls on a pair of blue and white trunks, knowing they’re the best fitting, the best contrast to his skin tone, and the comfiest.

  


“Alright, let’s go. We can stop by the bar first, want to see if that Irish lad is working again this summer.” Louis throws his TARDIS towel (He’s a Whovian) over his shoulder and puts on a pair of sandals that he can take off easily and quickly goes to fix his hair into a somewhat presentable style while Liam steals another pair out of Louis’ case because they’re the same shoe size and he doesn’t want to wear trainers down to the pool.

  


“Louis, you’d think after coming here for god knows how long you could at least remember the bartenders name is Niall.” Louis glares at him.

  


“Not everyone can remember as well as you, Li. Forgive me for I have forgotten.” Liam sighs but the two boys take their phones and their towels and tanning lotion (because not everyone is nice enough to share), with their sunglasses on their heads, they make their way down to the lobby, greeted by the manager and out into the sticky sweet humid summer outdoors for some well needed relaxation.

  


*

  


Niall is sweating like a freaking pig. He’s tempted to take his break and break a rule (no employees in the pool at any time) but instead he continues soaks his hair with cold, cold water and lets it trickle down his sticky back. Today is a scorcher. He feels so bad for Harry, having to constantly walk around the pool in the bleeding hot sun, but at least he was smart and wore white again.  He watches Harry stumble and wipe his hair out of his face, and that’s even with a head scarf to keep his curls back that had been permitted by their manager.

  


“Well if it isn’t the Irish charmer…” The voice he semi recognizes matches the face that his eyes meet when he looks up. He grins and reaches to high five the boy with blue eyes and toned physique.

  


“Hey Louis! Hi Liam, nice to see you guys back.” Louis grins and Liam smiles and waves at Niall.

  


“Wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else, mate. This is like my second home.” Louis says softly. Liam orders two waters and Louis turns around to scope the area.

  


Some of the typical juice heads are lounging in chaises catching a tan, pretending to read classic literature though Louis is certain there’s a playboy magazine behind that book of Pride and Prejudice and some of the normal visitors lounge in the shallow end of the huge pool. Louis is disappointed, not one of them is peaking his interest and he was genuinely hoping to show off the abs he’d perfected over winter with Liam at the gym. And then it hits him.

  


It hits him like a tsunami tidal wave crashing into him and knocking the air out of him and sweeping him off like debris. Standing across the pool looking like some sort of god, is a guy, presumably a waiter considering his name tag and half apron and serving tray, and he’s the epitome of perfection. Curls, bright pink fuck me lips, body of gold (from what he can tell) and Louis thinks he’s died and gone to heaven.

  


“Holy shit.” Louis’ eyes widen like a chipmunk who’s found a mother lode of acorns. He swears he’s drooling.

  


“What?” Liam turns and then he sighs. Oh no.

  


“He's the most divine creature I've ever seen in my life. Can I have him for Christmas?” Louis says. The boy he’s watching throws his head back as he talks to an older guy with a quiff. Louis turns around at Niall who is cackling.

  


“Who is he and where can I get one?” Louis asks seriously and Niall laughs more.

  


“That’s just Harry, and I don’t think he’s your type mate. I don’t really think you’re his type either.” Niall says honestly and Louis frowns.

  


“I am everyone’s type, excuse you.” He says in reply and watches _Harry_ ; yes okay Harry is a nice name on the tip of his tongue. Harry is so stunning to Louis, and Louis doesn’t know what’s come over him, usually he’s flirtatious and just _Louis_ and that usually does it. 

  


Louis turns around and leans on the bar because fuck he needs to calm down this guy can’t get under his skin when Louis hasn’t even spoken a word to him. He and Liam are about to go to two lounge chaises when-

  


“Oh my god!” Louis looks up from his feet just in time to see Harry being bumped into by a tall skinny priss, and then he’s falling into the deep end of the pool. He doesn’t fail to hit his head on the concrete siding either.

  


“Shit!” Louis shouts and he’s off in a snap, towel dropped and shoes off and phone discarded somewhere, and he’s diving in to the water before he can stop himself from thinking of doing anything else.

  


The water is beautifully cold; it chills Louis for a moment. His eyes open as he scouts for Harry. At the bottom of the pool is his floating body with little bubbles coming out of his mouth. Louis swims and grabs and drags and he’s breaching surface and holding Harry above the water and swimming him to the edge. Niall and Liam are standing by the side of the pool when he looks up and they reach down and haul Harry’s body out of the water and onto the concrete deck. Louis hops out quickly; a crowd is beginning to take notice to the scene.

  


Harry isn’t conscious, his breathing is watery and shaky and almost like he’s choking. Louis takes over, crawling so he’s by Harry’s head, and he’s turning Harry on his side and hitting on his back to bring the water out of his lungs. He knows the alternative is mouth to mouth but Harry is still breathing, and getting the water out is the only important thing right now. He’s about to give up and do mouth to mouth when Harry’s body lurches and coughs up a bunch of water, spluttering and almost upchucking in the process. Louis cradles Harry’s head on his knees where he’s kneeling, moving Harry’s hair and as suspected there’s a small gash on his forehead from where he struck the siding of the pool. Louis puts pressure on it with a towel Liam is handing him.

  


Louis is starting to worry when Harry opens his eyes. The first thing Harry sees is the towel in his eyes. His breathing is heavy, and his head is throbbing and he just wants to go back to sleep. The towel moves and there are so many faces he doesn’t recognize, but one is right in his line of sight and Harry swears he’s dead. He can’t be living. Not when Adonis is looking into his celadon eyes with cerulean ones, and brushing his curls off his face and holding the towel to his throbbing head and oh god he really fell into the fucking pool and is that blood on the towel? He squeezes his eyes shut before opening them again and the greek god is still there, smiling down at him.

  


“Hey, how’re you feeling?” The voice is like silk, higher pitched and a tad bit nasally but so soft and angelic and yet rough at the same time and Harry swallows and opens his mouth to answer.

  


“Like I’m dying.” Harry replies and fuck his voice is scratchy and possibly almost gone and the boy above his face’s reaction to his answer is to laugh, and sooth down a curl.

  


“Not quite, mate, though I thought you were gonna need mouth to mouth if you didn’t start coughing up that water.” The response is funny and Harry smiles and prays his head will stop spinning soon.

  


“Well sorry to disappoint.” Harry says and the boys reaction to that is to drop his jaw but his eyes sparkle and Harry grins at him.

  


“Cheeky.” Harry closes his eyes for a moment and breathes, and he feels the towel moving off his forehead and he opens his eyes when he feels the soft touch of fingers pressing against his forehead. He winces and hisses when Louis nears what Harry can only assume is a cut on his head.

  


“Sorry, babe. It’s stopped bleeding, do you want to try and sit up for me?” He asks and Harry closes his eyes and opens them slowly, before nodding. He slowly, so slowly, begins to sit up, groaning when he’s sitting up fully and feels careful hands on his back and shoulder, helping him.

  


“This is good. Can we stand now? No dizziness?” Harry shakes his head and winces because no, no dizziness but because he’s hurting, he’s sure there’s cuts and scrapes and bruises and maybe brain damage but he’s seeing fine.

  


“Alright, up we get then.” The boy eases his arms under Harry’s and helps him get to his feet and steadies him, and Harry glances around at all the people who’ve come by to watch. The girl he bumped into is nowhere to be seen, but his eyes land on a familiar face and he smiles and sways.

  


“Hey buddy. Harry takes a tumble?” Niall grins and Harry laughs gently but it hurts his throat.

  


“Is there a staff room somewhere? And a first aid kit?” Louis asks and Niall nods, giving Liam the directions to the staff room and handing the red first aid kit to him, before patting Harry’s shoulder.

  


“Take the day off, mate, Zayn’s shift is soon and if people want drinks they can come to me, if boss asks I’ll tell him what happened and if there’s shit I’ll deal with it. I’ll check on you later, yeah?” Harry nods and lets Louis lead him in the direction of where he knows is the staff gathering room where they eat lunch, and Louis leads him to a chair and gets him to sit down. Harry’s face is the same height as Louis’ chest so he has a nice view of the abs.

  


“I never got your name.” He croaks out and the lad fiddling in the kit smiles and looks down at him.

  


“Louis. What’s yours?” He says softly as if he doesn’t know; he pulls out a bunch of small things Harry doesn’t know about. “Harry Styles.” Harry answers with a shy smile. Louis looks at him with a funny expression.

  


“What?” Harry asks with a grin.

  


“Seriously? Harry Styles? Sounds like a porn star name, mate. Suits you though. You’re quite fit.” Harry doesn’t blush (he does). Louis clears his throat and brushes Harry’s curls off his forehead again. He touches gently at the cut.

  


“So I’m going to clean and disinfect it, dress it and then your elbow because you’ve a nasty cut there too, sorry mate but Liam and Niall obviously aren’t careful with fragile human bodies.” Liam flips him off and helps Louis open things, and Louis gives Harry a tight look.

  


“It’s going to sting, I’m sorry.” Louis says and Harry sighs, it can’t be worse than getting a tattoo, he thinks. He’s right, it’s not, it burns and stings and he doesn’t even flinch as the alcohol pad grazes the cut on his forehead.

  


“What’s the damage, boss?” Harry asks and Louis grins.

  


“Minor cut, no stitches, just a whopping goose egg and headache for a day or two. As for your arm, well it looks like shredded hamburger so I’d say a week or two of bitching and complaining while it heals, and a lot of polysporin. Same goes for your head.” Harry nods as Louis adds the cream and the tapes a small 4 by 4 inch gauze to his forehead. Harry winces but doesn’t pull away.

  


“You’re all clear, unless you’re feeling dizzy or light-headedness.” Harry shakes his head.

  


“Just throbbing headache.” Louis smiles and nods.

  


“When dad paid for those first aid classes I never thought I’d actually ever use them. I’m glad I got them now.” Louis says to Liam. Liam rolls his eyes.

  


“Lou, your dad hired the best instructor out there, I’m just surprised you listened to it. You never focus on anything.” Louis shrugs and smiles at Harry again. Harry smiles back though he feels odd, as if something is missing. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and curses.

  


“Man, your phone is fried. I’m sure the priss bitch that bumped you won’t show her face to the light of day and won’t own up and get you a new one. Though I on the other hand, will.” Louis says and Harry’s eyes look up at him with knit eyebrows.

  


“Phones cost a lot of money.” He says and Louis laughs.

  


“Mate I’ve got more money than I know what to do with, I don’t mind buying you a new phone. It’s the least I can do.” And that’s it, there’s the missing link. He’s a fucking rich socialite, of fucking course he is. Harry frowns and looks at his feet, swallows hard and forces himself to stand. Louis knits his eyebrows.

  


“Where’re ya goin’?” He asks and Harry exhales and looks at him, still frowning.

  


“I’m just going to go back to my room, sleep it off or something. Excuse me.” Louis’ hand grabs for Harry’s wrist, stopping him.

  


“I was going to invite you to lunch; we’re having a Cuban lunch, full spread. Would you like to join us?” Louis asks gently and Harry sighs inwardly. He pulls his arm away from Louis’ and looks at his feet.

  


“Thanks but um, it’s okay. Thanks for saving me, and taking care of me…”

  


“Will I see you again?” Harry pauses at the door and sees Louis standing by the table looking small and feeble and a little desperate.

  


“Probably if you’re around the pool, I’ll be there.” Harry shrugs.

  


He waits for Louis to ask another question but when he doesn’t, Harry thanks him again for helping him and then leaves, taking the next shuttle bus to his hotel and getting straight into bed, setting his dead phone on the side table. He didn’t even have the energy to call and ask for a bag of rice to try and even salvage the phone, he knew it wouldn’t work, it was dead. He felt dead to the world too.

  


Louis stands in the staff room with a messy table behind him and a pouty look on his face. One minute there’s fireworks and flirting and everything Louis wanted and then- nothing. Ice cold glances and looking at Louis like he positively dreaded the thought of being near him. That may’ve bruised his ego a little bit, but it hurt even more because he was literally so happy that he and Harry were getting along.

  


“Well that was… odd?” Liam voices and Louis sighs and sets about cleaning up the first aid kit.

  


“Things were good and then as soon as I mentioned buying the phone it’s like a flip switched off and he was so… cold. Like he just automatically hated me.” Louis slumps in a seat and pouts.

  


“Maybe you should go to his room and ask what his problem is?” Liam suggests and Louis glares at him.

  


“I want him to like me not file a restraining order out against me.” Liam laughs and Louis hits his arm. 

  


“You’re really upset about this then?” Liam asks and Louis frowns, despite Liam’s warning of him getting premature frownie wrinkles.

  


“Yes, I am. I don’t know what it is about him, something… it just makes me want to… I don’t know, just be around him, be friends with him, or something like that. We got on so well and then it just… stopped and I just… Maybe I just need a good shag or summat. I don’t know Li, do I sound crazy?” Liam looks into Louis’ eyes and laughs.

  


“A little bit, yeah.” Louis frowns, his chin in his hand as he tried to work out why things happened so quickly. Liam told him not to hurt himself by thinking too hard, and Louis slugged him in the shoulder and continued to ponder the reasons.

  


“Maybe it’s ‘cause I brought up money?” Liam shrugs and Louis sighs. He wasn’t going to give up on this.

  


“Well whatever it is, I’m going to figure it out.” He replies.

  


He and Liam make their way to the restaurant to have lunch and all the while he thinks and rethinks and scratches off the possibilities as to what made Harry snap. He also thought about what gave him this weird feeling about Harry, and he thought about possible ways to fix whatever had happened and then his brain really started to hurt and Liam said he was banned from thinking for the day. For lunch he’s quiet, and then they return to the pool side for their planned tanning and swim. Louis lays on the chaise and let’s himself become a tanned honey gold colour, all the while coming up with a million questions and no answers. And it’s frustrating, until it’s not. He has an idea, such a simple brilliant idea, and he’s going to make it happen. And even if it takes all summer, he’s not going to let Harry Styles slip through his grasp.

  


*

  


Harry wakes up with a crick in his neck and a thumping in his head. The memories are still there like an open wound and they physically hurt. Of course a gorgeous guys like Louis had to be the type of person Harry hated. And maybe the universe was damning him, dangling the most perfect man in front of him saying 'here he is come and get him he's a socialite we know you hate those' Harry couldn't be certain but to him it felt like cruel and unusual punishment from the world. Of course Niall would say Harry is overreacting but hey, he did hit his head off the pool yesterday so maybe Harry's heads a bit jumbled.

  


There's a cotton feeling in his mouth and it's disgusting, he is so happy to see a glass of water and two tablets of Paracetamol on his night stand. A note from Nialler saying he checked on him to make sure he wasn't dead and that he'd see him in the morning, i.e. now. Harry looks out his balcony window and sees the sun streaming through the cream coloured curtains.

  


He decides to slowly sit up and get out of bed, his feet crossing the carpet floor so he can go into the bathroom and take care of that matter. When he turns around and sees himself in the mirror he groans, he looks like death. Dried blood lines the edge of his forehead and creeps into his hair above the bandage Louis had put on him yesterday and for some reason he has a bruised eye (he assumes it's from the hit because really the whole side of his face is sore and bruised). He touches his eye gently and hisses when it hurts from even the softest touch, and decides to remove the bandage from his forehead. He sighs.

  


He never saw the gash until now. It's not too big really, on the right side of his forehead it starts at the base line of his hair and travels down to the end of his eyebrow, it’s about an inch long. It's not wide and he's thankful for that because he didn't need stitches from it. It's scabbed and looks a lot worse than it is.

  


He decides to take a shower, wash the smell of chlorine off his body and wash out the blood and whatever else has nested in his hair. The hot water is nice, dripping down his body. He watches the water turn from pink to clear as he lets the water rinse out the blood dried in his hair. He washes his hair with the green apple kids shampoo he bought once when he was desperate and found out he really liked the way it made his curls (and how it doesn’t sting his eyes if he’s too tired to worry about suds, bless the no tears promise) and his body with coconut body wash to keep his skin soft and smooth (mothers orders). When he gets out he looks significantly less dead, but still hurting (the shiner under his eye makes him look like he got punched, the goose egg on his forehead less red as it was but still noticeable none the less).

  


The knock on his door surprises him. He pulls down his shirt and answers the door in his towel and a raggedy tee shirt. When he pulls the door open, a young man (Harry thinks his name is Calum) is standing in the hotel uniform and in his hand he holds a white box with a red bow on it. Harry knits his eyebrows in confusion.

  


“Can I help you?” Harry asks, gripping his towel tighter around his middle. The hotel boy meets Harry’s eyes with a kind smile.

  


“Good morning. You’re Harry Styles, right?”

  


“Yes?” The boy grins. He stretches out his hands and offers the box to Harry.

  


“What is it?” Harry looks at it.

  


“Not sure, sir; it was delivered this morning to the main desk with your name on it.” The boy, Calum says.

  


“So why wasn’t it placed in my employee mail box?” Harry asks, confused and a little irritated now. Calum takes on a look of surprise.

  


“The delivery man specified that Mr. Tomlinson’s wishes were that it was to be delivered right to your hotel room for you.” Harry nearly slams the door in his face at that, because of fucking course it’s from him.

  


“I don’t want it.” Harry says and Calum’s face turns to confusion.

  


“I have to deliver it to you sir, orders are orders and I really don’t want to get in trouble…” Harry sighs, pinches his nose right between his eyes and holds a hand out, accepting the box from Calum.

  


“Thank you. Good day.” The boy says and flits down the hallway. Harry closes the door and drops his towel and then sits on his bed. The white box with the red bow sits in front of him and taunts him. Should he open it? Or should he just send it back?

  


He gives in after twenty minutes of staring at the damn thing, and he wants to throw it across the room when it is open. Lying on a perfect layer of red silk cushioning is a brand new IPhone 5S. It’s the silver model and shiny and unscratched unlike Harry’s old scratched to shit water dead IPhone 3G that he was trying to salvage another year out of before caving and getting a new one. On the screen of the phone is a large sticky note with fancy scrawl on it.

  


_I never take no for an answer, rule #1 in the Tommo’s book. I think we started off on the wrong foot, want to make a fresh start? When the phone turns on it will have all your saved information e.g. contacts, reminders, messages, photos etc. I’ve taken liberty of adding my number into the contacts, so don’t hesitate to message me. I do hope we can make friends? – Louis xx_

_PS: all booklets and charging cords are beneath the silk pillow. xx_

  


Two sets of two x’s. Two. Who does this guy think he is? Harry scoffs and scowls at the phone, he turns it on and of course as Louis promised everything is on this phone, still intact and still the way it was on his old phone. He sighs, leaving the phone in its silk pillow as he tries to find clean boxers and shorts; he really needs to invest in new boxers. Another knock on his door makes him groan, if it’s Louis himself he may sock him in the eyes. When the door opens to Niall, Niall winces.

  


“You look great.” Niall says but it’s dripping with sarcasm and Harry can’t be bothered to do much more than flip him off and sit back on the bed, scowling.

  


“Holy shit, the bugger actually did it. Damn it, I’m gonna fall in the pool and whack my head off the side, maybe he’ll buy me a new car.” Niall says and makes grabby hands for the phone but Harry doesn’t let him touch it with his grease covered hands.

  


“You had chips for breakfast?” Niall grins, he’s got ketchup staining his chin a bit but Harry doesn’t tell him.

  


“Dinah makes 'em the best. Better than mum. Sh, don’t tell her I said that, she’ll kill me.” Harry smiles but returns to his frown not even a moment later when Harry receives a text message on the new phone, and it’s from Louis.

  


“Not sure if you’ve turned on the phone yet but when you do you’ll see this. Hope you like it, if you need anything let me know. –Lou. Xx” Harry reads out loud and scoffs. Niall shakes his head.

  


“Only you would be pissed off at a guy who buys you a phone without even getting to know you first.” Niall says and Harry glares.

  


“I’m giving it back.” Harry says and packs up the box, fully intent on taking the phone back to Louis.

  


“He wont take it, he’s stubborn.” Niall says but Harry doesn’t care, he goes out of his room and Niall is on his tail.

  


“Do you know if he’s at the pool today?” Harry asks, reaching up to touch the goose egg on his head and trying to fix his hair to hide it.

  


“Think he’s at the pool again today, yeah. By the way, boss man wants to see you, feels bad for what happened, wants to talk about it.” Harry gives him a look, Niall smiles.

  


“You blew him to make him be nice to me, didn’t you?” Harry asks casually and Niall just has a shit eating grin on his face.

  


“I did no such thing…” But the tone of his voice says otherwise. Niall and ‘boss man’ aka Josh (the owner of the resort son aka summer manager) have had a fling going for the years he’s been working at Royal Riu which is how he got the connections to get Harry the job. Harry shakes his head and sighs.

  


The two take the trolley to the resort (both of them are off today, Harry is thankful for that) and they head toward the pool area. Louis is lounging on a chaise with a glass sparkling iced tea on the table beside him. He’s getting a gorgeous tan and today the trunks he’s wearing are shorter, Harry notes that Louis doesn’t have tan lines and that can only mean one thing, some where some time Louis tans naked. He looks glorious (though Harry just frowns because he doesn’t want to notice how good he really looks) and at peace and Harry thinks maybe he should just give the phone to Niall and tell him to return it, but he thinks better of it and walks straight up to Louis, blocks the sun with his broad shoulders and waits for Louis to open his beautiful cerulean eyes.

  


“Hey giant, you’re blocking my su- oh hi.” Louis says when he opens his eyes. Standing before him is Harry, dressed in a normal tee shirt and shorts and not a uniform, his face bruised and battered but he still looks stunning and the way the sun is shining behind him makes him look angelic.

  


“I don’t want this.” Harry says icily, holding up the box Louis had asked to be perfect when he’d called in to order the emergency delivery phone. Louis doesn’t drop his smile though; he won’t let ice princess kill his mood.

  


“And I told you I don’t take no for an answer.” He retorts, fixing his fringe. Harry scowls.

  


“I can get my own phone, thanks.” Harry grits his teeth, growing angry. Louis sighs and stands up, trying to seem big.

  


“Listen Curly, no need to throw a tizzy. It’s just a phone, not a marriage proposal.” Harry pinches his nose and looks at Niall who is watching from the sidelines with a wide eyed Liam.

  


“Look I know you’re stubborn but-”

  


“That’s right, I am. So no, I will not take back the phone. Keep it please, I bought it for you and I do hope you’ll use it.” Louis says proudly of his known stubbornness, in the best of situations its helps to be his level of stubborn. Harry sighs this time, frustrated.

  


“I feel like I’m in debt to you, I obviously can’t pay you back-“

  


“You don’t need to pay me back Curly, but if it’s really troubling your sleep at night, there is something you could do for me.” Louis says and Harry looks at him with a cocked eyebrow, waiting for an answer.

  


“Hang out with me. Go on a date with me.” Louis says and Harry nearly laughs.

  


“You’re not my type.” Harry says. Louis frowns at that and Harry tries not to grin because he’s cracked Louis’ shell.

  


“Why do people keep saying this? I am everyone’s type.” He retorts sassily, and Harry grins.

  


“Apparently not.” Harry says and looks at Niall.

  


“Boss man text me, wants to see you.” Harry thanks Niall with his eyes for getting him out of this. He sets the phone on the table by Louis’ chair and is about to walk away when his hand is grabbed by one much smaller than his. Louis is pleading with his eyes.

  


“Take it, please. Never take no for an answer, remember?” He says softly and Harry sighs before nodding thanking him under his breath. Louis grins.

  


“How about that date?” Louis asks and Harry laughs, he begins to walk towards the hotel part of the resort.

  


“In your dreams, Tommo!” He calls out.

  


“I’ll count on it!” Louis calls back and Harry glances back with a smile, Louis is watching him go. He shivers and goes into the beautifully air conditioned resort hotel, and he walks up to the front desk where a lad named Olly stands. He smiles and waves at Harry.

  


“Hey mate, heard what happened. You look rough.” Harry shrugs and sighs.

  


“Where’s Josh?” He asks and Olly points to the office, and Harry nods. He knocks and enters, Josh is relaxing in his chair, his feet up on his desk and a game controller in his hand. To say he’s a laid back boss is an understatement.

  


“You wanted to see me?” Harry says and Josh smiles and pauses his game, his eyes widen as he assesses the damage.

  


“Niall told me about your incident, says one of the socialite guests made you tumble… I know they can be difficult sometimes.” Harry nods because yeah, they can be difficult.

  


“Wanted to give you something to welcome you to the team as I do with all the workers, I figured now would be a good time as any to give it to you.” He goes into the top drawer of his desk and hands Harry a slip of paper. The slip reads ‘one free luxurious day at Royal Riu’s spa courtesy of boss man’ and Harry cant help but grin.

  


“The girls in the spa will know when you hand them the slip exactly what it is, they’ll take good care of ya and I trust you’ll be ready to resume working Monday like usual.”

  


“Course. Little bump on the bean won’t put me outta work.” Harry says and Josh laughs at that.

  


“I wouldn’t blame ya if you took that voucher and used it today, you look stressed. Go have a relax.” Josh says and Harry nods.

  


“Thanks, boss man.” Harry says with a tease and Josh gives a mock salute before resuming his game and Harry exits the office with a grin on his face. He looks at the paper balanced on his white box, and he nods to himself. He’ll spend today for himself, he deserves it.

  


Harry walks through the hotel to the spa and when he comes to it he feels relaxed already. Calming scents of jasmine and spices and aromas fill his nose. The room is lit by a wall of glass tiles, the light almost reminds Harry of a watery colour, a tinged bluish white colour he really can’t describe. When he looks to his left there’s the reception desk, and he smiles when he recognizes the person at the desk.

  


“Hello welcome to Royal Riu resort day spa and- oh. Hello Harry.” Perrie sits at the front desk to the spa; her blond hair falls wavy and sits on top of her shoulders, her headpiece making her look boho without trying. She’s wearing her standard black work shirt and white shorts, and her feet are bare. Harry gives her a soft smile. She walks around the counter and stands in front of him.

  


“Hey Pezza.” She’s eyeing his face, and he sighs but he’s still smiling.

  


“I had a run in with the side of the pool yesterday.” He says and she giggles. She touches his cheek gently and gives him a soft look.

  


“I can see that.” She says with a small laugh to her voice. Harry holds up the slip of paper and Perrie grins.

  


“I see you’ve gotten the employee slip from Josh. Let’s get you all set up and relaxed.” She says and scoots around to her desk again, typing into the computer something and then looks at Harry.

  


“What do you recommend? I really don’t know anything about these places.” Harry says as he drags his hand across the granite counter top. Harry’s nose is tingling from the sweet scents drifting through the spa. Perrie grabs a piece of paper with a menu like list of the things the spa offers. She looks at it and sighs.

  


“Man I wish I was you today. I definitely recommend the onsen, the hot rocks and deep tissue massage, ooh and the chocolate facial…” She looks up and Harry is raising his eyebrows at her.

  


“Perrie, I’m a boy, I don’t understand any of that.” She laughs and shows him the menu, and he reads about each one. He likes the idea of the hot rocks, and the onsen sounds nice, the massage sounds heavenly and the facial is something he could try. He looks at her and smiles.

  


“Yes to all? If that’s okay?” He asks and Perrie nods, writing it all out on a piece of paper.

  


“Right, so just walk past this rock divider and around the corner there will be another desk. Ring the chime by the desk and Jesy should come out. She’s unbooked so it’ll probably be her; you don’t mind a girl doing it right?” Harry shakes his head, he doesn’t care about nakedness; it doesn’t faze him. Perrie smiles and hands him the other slip of paper that he takes, and she stops him right before he walks past the divider into the dimly lit area.

  


“Shoes aren’t permitted in there, so just leave them there on that mat.” She points and he nods.

  


“Is there a place I can put this box?” He asks, the new phone burning a hole in his pocket.

  


She happily takes it and sets it with her purse behind the desk and says he can get it when he leaves. He thanks her and follows through into the dimly lit room that gives off the relaxing vibe with rock waterfalls as walls and cobble stone tiling as floors and gives an almost rain forest effect. He feels really calmed and he definitely needs this. He inhales deeply to the calming scents floating around and reaches up to ring the wind chime by another granite desk. Jesy comes through a door minutes later, a smile on her face when she sees Harry.

  


“Hey, darlin’. How’re you doing?” She asks and Harry gives her a look, she just laughs.

  


“Alright, pet, let me see your slip Pezza wrote up. Getting the free luxury day I take it?” Harry nods and smiles, allowing Jesy to take the slip and read the planned treatments off. She sighs enviously and tells Harry to follow her.

  


“We’ll do the onsen first, you go in by yourself and you have a relax in there. Then we’ll do hot rocks to loosen your muscles, followed by your massage and the facial. We’ll be careful about your pretty little face, and your cut.” She says and Harry nods, following Jesy down a hallway into a back room. She grabs a towel and a robe from the supply rack and leads Harry into a room that transports him to another world.

  


“Oh wow.” Jesy grins at him and his gobsmacked reaction. Harry steps into the room and breathes in the beautiful smell of the water, reminding him of rain. The water pours from a waterfall just like in the lobby but bigger, much bigger. The pooling water bubbles softly in areas, and Harry can feel the steam already. The lighting is white wash, and soft soothing sounds come from somewhere in the room. He feels like he’s in paradise.

  


“It’s our spin on a Japanese onsen, also known as hot springs. It’s one of Perrie’s faves here. The minerals in the water cleanse and purify and exfoliate and leave you feeling amazing. Oh, and you have to go in butt naked.” Harry laughs at that, he begins to strip down right in front of Jesy. To say her face turned fifty shades of pink was an understatement.

  


“You uh, can leave these in this bin over here along with your phone, when your thirty minutes is up a little bell will ding, I will come back and get you and you can bring the bin with you.”

  


“Sounds simple enough. Thanks.” Jesy smiles, her lips berry coloured and glossy.

  


She makes her way out of the room as Harry begins to slip into the water and holy shit; he’s died and gone to heaven.  The water is warm and tingly to his skin, the soft noises and lighting is the epitome of relaxing and he can’t help but sink down in and wet his hair, and he’s surprised that it doesn’t sting when his cut gets water on it. It tingles like the rest of his body but doesn’t sting. He manages to pull himself out of relaxing into the glorious water when his phone vibrates on the deck. He turns and looks at it, and frowns when he sees a message from Niall.

  


_Hey mate, hope you’re relaxing. Just found out yer front page on priss tabloids… well, sort of. Check it out._

  


Harry clicks the link attached and nearly drops his phone into the water when it loads. He was relaxed before he isn’t now, and for a minute he’s grateful that he has the other things coming to relax him because right now he’s seeing red and targets in the middle of a certain socialite’s forehead as he reads the headline.

  


**Tomlinson hero?! Everyone’s fave socialite saves unknown person from drowning on vacation.**

****  


*

  


Louis isn’t quite sure what it is about Harry that entrances him so completely, but he doesn’t really mind. He’s never acted this way before. Sure, in his life there have been many crushes, many of them boys, and yet none of them come close to what it is with Harry. Harry doesn’t even like him that much (maybe a little) and Louis is completely smitten like some lovesick puppy. Every time Harry kicks Louis, Louis gets right back up and tries that much harder to get his attention. And he’s not sure why that is.

  


Maybe it’s because he’s never been denied like this before. Usually he can have anyone he wants with a single bat of an eyelash. Okay, so maybe that’s not exactly the best thing, and it’s not exactly good that he can admit that, but he can’t help it; it is what it is. Maybe he likes the challenge Harry puts up, the challenge to win the battle of whatever stick is shoved so far up his ass that he suddenly hated Louis after having gotten on so well at first. Louis still doesn’t understand that. One minute he’s saving Harry’s life, the next he’s patching up the damage and they’re shamelessly flirting and everything’s great and then he just snaps? On one hand Louis wants to find out the reason, on another he’s afraid to pry and he’s afraid to ask because what if the problem is something he can’t change?

  


It’s driving him crazy. He’s never felt this before, and he’s not sure how to handle it. It’s like it’s on replay in his mind and the button is stuck, over and over until he works himself up and ends up with a headache. He knows he needs to clear his mind of all things Harry so he can have time to be a normal human being and not an obsessing lunatic, and there's a perfect way to do that; get drunk.

  


There were many things Louis could ask Liam to do and he'd simply do it without thinking because it's Louis and Liam loves Louis like a brother, and one of those things is asking him to go out with him and get drunk. Sure Liam was sensible for most things but he liked drinking just ask much as Louis and he enjoyed the thumping bass and the dancing and every thing about clubbing, so when Louis asks him to go out with him Liam agrees right away, it's that simple.

  


"I need you to make sure I don't think about you know who tonight, tonight is about clearing my mind of him. If I pull tonight, don't stop me. Maybe I can get fucked into oblivion and I won't think of him." Louis says offhandedly as he stands in front of the full length mirror in his suites bathroom and fluffs his hair into the perfect swept hair(it's a tad long, he really should get it cut).

  


"Is that really such a good idea? I mean, you like him? Why don't you try, I don't know, talking to him?" Liam says from the edge of Louis' bed. Louis glares at him through the mirror.

  


"You think I haven't tried? I want to text him all the time, but he hardly answers when I do. And I don't want to seem like a clingy person, he acts like he doesn't even like me." Louis grumbles and turns to fetch a shirt from the dresser drawer that will make him look good and yet not obvious that he's looking for a distraction out there.

  


"You're Louis Tomlinson, Your motto is that you're everyone's type and you never take no for an answer. What makes this any different?" Liam asked, frustrated. He fiddles with his hands as a distraction to himself.

  


"Liam, _he_ is what is different. He makes me feel inexplicably helpless, and usually I am so fucking smooth with people I’m interested in. What's wrong with me?" Louis looks in the mirror and pouts, trying to figure out the answer as if he’ll see the flaw like a sore thumb in the mirror. Liam sighs.

  


"Nothing is wrong with you, Louis. I've never seen you hung up on someone you've known less than a week so I really don't know how to help... I suppose I can play wingman tonight but if I pull you're on your own." Louis smiles at him.

  


"You're a saint, you know that Payno?” Louis says and Liam just shakes his head with a smile on his face, claiming he’ll be back in a few minutes once he’s ready.

  


Louis sets to work about getting dressed; he pulls on a tight fitting white cotton tee shirt with a neckline that shows off his collar bones nicely and pairs it with chinos. He slips his black VANS on and glances in the mirror. He looks good, that’s inevitable, he got good genes, but he feels like something’s off. Perhaps it’s the knowledge that he’s going out with the plan of bringing someone home, and he’s not sure why that is because he’s never had any trouble with it before. In all honesty, he knows the reason is Harry but he denies himself the right to admit it. Liam comes through the door a minute later looking like a model off of GQ or one of those fancy magazines.

  


“Ready to go then?” Liam asks as Louis’ pocketing his wallet and phone. He smiles and slips on his Aviators.

  


“Let’s roll.” He says and the two leave the room and are off in search of a club to lose themselves in.

  


Outside the night air is a bit cooler than day, the streets are littered with groups of people drunk and sober making their way to other clubs. The sky is darkening but the street lights and clubs signs lights illuminate the street. Louis stumbles but they managed to find a club that looks decent, and as soon as they make it through the door (giving a name and easing in, fees waved) they’re hit with the feeling that screams ‘madness’. The madness of the club is as intoxicating as the alcohol. The music hums like background noise but it’s really all anyone can hear. The floor is packed with dancing people, some better than others, and Louis wants to throw himself into it and let himself go. He knows he needs to get a drink in him first so he and Liam weave through the crowd to the bar and wait their turn. When the two get to the bar through the throng of people, Liam pipes up and orders for them. Louis is grateful when the shot glass of one hundred proof vodka is in his hand. Downing it quick he pulls a face and shivers, before turning to Liam and smiling.

  


“Let’s get shitfaced.”

  


Louis orders a tequila shot for them next and is about to down his when his phone vibrates in his pocket. He quickly hits the shot back and pulls his phone out, swiping his thumbprint across it and then reviewing the message. He nearly dies when he sees who it’s from; Harry.

  


_You’re in big trouble, mister._

  


He shivers but he can’t help but smile, because Harry sounds playful and he really hasn’t had much of that. Louis is feeling the alcohol taking effect now, but he’s not drunk yet, he’s able to type out a cheeky message in reply.

  


_Does that mean I’m to be punished? ;)_

  


_No seriously, you’re in trouble. I don’t appreciate being a prop to earn you a headline._

  


Louis frowns at that message; he knits his eyebrows in confusion. What the hell is Harry on about? Louis asks and is grumpy with the reply.

  


_A tabloid named you man of the hour for saving an unknown lad’s life. Niall sent me a link to the website._

  


Louis sighs and rubs his head, he doesn’t want to argue when there’s a thumping base line to a song he doesn’t know calling to him to party.

  


_I’m not sure how that got out? Most of the time the resort has a no paparazzi policy?_

  


_I know that._

  


Frustrated with this, Louis shoves his phone in his pocket and orders another shot, if he’s getting wasted he better get hit hard with it. Louis makes his way to the dance floor and is grabbed a minute later by a woman about his age. He’s distracted by the curls of her short brunette hair and she’s grinning at him with deep dimples. He smiles at her and begins to dance. It’s nice. She’s a bit taller than him by a few inches (she’s wearing heels), her green eyes light up with excitement and the club lights, she looks like she’s having fun so he tries his best to have fun too. It hits him when she smiles at him with big eyes before she closes them and throws her hands up in the air, letting herself go with the music; she looks like Harry.

  


“You look like someone I know.” He tells her and she grins at him.

  


“Oh, really? What’s their name?” she asks, curious.

  


“Harry. I swear you’re like his girl doppelgänger or something.” He tells her and she laughs.

  


“Well thanks?”

  


“You’re both very attractive.” Louis compliments her and she laughs.

  


“Babe, I don’t really play for your team.” She tells him and Louis laughs with her this time. He throws his head back in a big belly laugh, obviously the alcohol is working. His vision is fuzzy around the edges but he knows what he’s doing.

  


“It’s okay, I don’t play for yours often either.” He winks and she grins.

  


The two of them dance for another two songs before she’s wisped off by her friends (but not before offering Louis her number because he’s funny and they get along great, you know to keep in touch and all)  and Louis’ left in the middle of everyone on the dance floor and he’s not sure what to do. He makes his way to the bar and orders a drink, sipping on it and eyeing up the possible singles. He’s about to give up when he spots Liam. Liam obviously sees him too, because he’s making his way over to him through the crowd of people. Liam finds him a minute later, pulling him in the direction he just came from. He doesn’t say anything, winks at Louis and shoves him into a boy with tanned skin and beautiful honey brown eyes and shaggy dark brownish black hair, a darling smile on his face.

  


“You want to dance?” The boy shouts over the music and Louis grins. He could definitely dance with this tall drink of water with a body like a god.

  


“Sure.” Louis replies, the mystery man leads him into the group of dancing people and spins him around so Louis’ back is to mystery man’s chest. The two dance to the music, their hips swaying to the beat, and Louis loses himself to the music and the alcohol.

  


“My name is Alex.” The boy whispers into Louis’ ear and Louis just about ready to drop to his knees, the soft gravel and the hot accent of his voice melting Louis. It was partly the alcohol, but he could definitely work with this.

  


“I’m Louis.” He breathes out and they continue dancing. Louis spins around and wraps his arms around the back of Alex’s neck, leaning in and kissing at the soft skin of his neck. Louis’ kissing sets Alex off, his grabs Louis’ bum tightly and groans in Louis’ ear and yes, Louis can definitely pull tonight.

  


“Looks like your friend pulled with my friend…” Alex says softly in his ear.

  


Louis looks over to Liam who is kissing a boy who could model for Vogue, chiselled cheekbones and quiffed hair and long beautiful eyelashes and a growing stubbly beard that Louis knows Liam has a thing for. The two grin at each other and then begin to head for the exit, and Louis realizes they’ve been here all night and it’s breaking on two in the morning.

  


“Shots?” Louis asks and Alex complies, the two take one hundred proof vodka shots and even have some Bourbon (Louis’ not really a fan of it but hey, it’s a dark drink that’ll get him drunk so why the fuck not) and not even half an hour later Louis is making a right fool of himself on the dance floor and he’s passed drunk and well on his way to hammered.

  


He’s got his hands in the air and his vision is fuzzy and his heart is pounding to the sound of the music and when Alex tries to kiss him as they dance all he can think about is green eyes and curly hair and pale skin and dimples. When he pulls away Alex asks him what’s wrong and Louis just shakes his head.

  


“I can’t do this tonight. I’ve got to go, I’m sorry. You’re really lovely-“

  


“Can I at least have your number? I’d hate to lose a chance like you.” He rubs a thumb across the back of Louis’ hand and Louis smiles because this boy is so sweet and he’s going to break his heart. Louis takes down his number, kisses his goodbyes and makes his way out of the club and into the street. He stumbles and trips and he’s not really sure where he’s going, until he gets there.

  


*

  


Harry sits in his hotel room at half two in the morning, unable to sleep. He’s reading on his iPad his mother had gotten him for Christmas (he’d reluctantly accepted the extravagant gift after she told him she refused to return it) and really all he had done with it was download games he’d gotten addicted to (flappy bird, hay day, etc) and a lot of books. He liked to read in his spare time, currently rereading through Gatsby on his free classics app. He was about to turn off the iPad and go to sleep when there was a knock on his door. He knitted his eyebrows and frowned, staring at the door for a moment before he heard it.

  


“Harry, open the door!” The voice said on the other side as it thumped on the door some more. Harry knew that voice, he practically ran to the door and threw it open to see a very drunk Louis slumped against his doorway.

  


“What are you doing here?” Harry asked and Louis gives him big wide hazed eyes.

  


“I don’t know. Was out partying and somehow I ended up here. You’re stuck with me.” Louis says giggling as he slowly slides down the door frame. Harry quickly goes and hauls Louis up from his slumping position and brings him into the room. Louis giggles when his arm is wrapped around Harry’s broad shoulders and he leans happily on Harry.

  


“Why didn’t you go home?” Louis sighs.

  


“Because Liam pulled and I’m sad.” He says as he flops back on the bed like a little kid. Harry fetches a glass of cool fresh water and makes Louis drink it (despite his protests that ‘I’ll have to wee for hours!’) before he sits beside him.

  


“You’re sad?” Harry says softly.

  


He quickly types out a message to Niall that says ‘ _drunk Louis in my room, emergency! What do I do?’_ Niall had told him to _get some_ so he was useless. Harry realized it was well passed the time he could return Louis to his hotel room without being caught by security or worse, Josh. It wouldn’t look good. Hell, Louis in his hotel room right now doesn’t look good. He was already fucked, so unless Louis planned to leave by himself (which Harry found very unlikely) he was here until morning.

  


“Yes, I’m sad.” Louis pouts. Harry sighs, and Louis sits up fully and rests his sweaty forehead on Harry’s shoulder.

  


“Why are you sad?” Harry questions and Louis makes a small noise.

  


“Because you’re mad at me. And because you hate me. And I want to know you but you won’t let me.” He frowns and Harry doesn’t know how to feel. He can’t deny the connection they’d shared, but he can’t deny he hates the type of person Louis is. But that doesn’t mean he hates _Louis._

  


“I don’t hate you.” Harry tells him and Louis looks up at him with big eyes.

  


“Then why don’t you like me? Why don’t you talk to me?” he asked and rests his head back on Harry’s shoulder, too tired to hold it up himself and the world is kinda spinning right now so he’s much more comfortable like this.

  


“It’s complicated.”

  


“Well please uncomplicate it, because I like you.” Louis says and absentmindedly kisses Harry’s bare shoulder. Harry shivers a tad at that.

  


“You sleeping here?” Harry asks finally.

  


“You sleeping beside me?” Louis inquires.

  


“No.” Harry replies calmly. If Louis stays here, Harry will take the couch.

  


“Well I wouldn’t argue if you decided to… but…” He’s slowly nodding off on Harry’s shoulder so Harry scratches gently at the back of Louis’ neck until Louis lets a small sigh out and a soft snore.

  


Harry moves at this, sliding Louis’ sleeping body into his arms like a baby or bride and places his head on the pillows and makes about removing his shoes and taking his wallet and phone out of his pocket and onto the night stand. He then covers Louis up with his blankets (except for the one at the base of the bed that he takes for himself and the extra pillow on the left side of the bed) and makes for the couch. shutting all but the bathroom light off on the way. He curls himself up on the couch, and lets it all sink in that Louis is in his bed and he’s not, and that of all the places or things Louis could do when he’s drunk, he decides to come see Harry and tell Harry how he’s feeling.

  


Harry feels like he hasn’t given Louis much credit. Louis didn’t seem like the type Harry hated too much, he just happened to have a name that drew attention. And maybe with a little time Harry could grow to like Louis, and maybe he could let Louis have a chance. He couldn’t over think things, he had work in the morning and thinking about it now would leave him up all night. So with that in mind he closes his eyes and lets himself be taken over with sleep, dreaming of cerulean eyes and honey tanned skin.

  


*

  


When Louis wakes up he wishes the ground would open up and swallow him whole. His eyes refuse to open, the sunlight is pouring through the thin sheers and he feels like death. His head is pounding he can feel it behind his eyes and in his temples and his whole body aches and this is such a shit hang over and then- he remembers in crashing waves that he is not in his own hotel suite and forces himself to open his eyes. He whines when he does, he looks around, careful to not move his head, and sees the room is empty. On closer inspection Louis sees a glass of water (it looks fresh and cold) a bottle of both Paracetamol and Gravol and a banana on the side table along with a note from Harry. Louis reaches weakly to the note and pulls it up to his face to read.

  


_I know you’ll wake early because you’ll probably hear the door shutting behind me… Take something for your hangover, eat the banana and drink the water and rest a bit more. – H x_

****  


Louis would make a squealing girly noise of happiness if he didn’t think his head would explode if he did. He follows Harry’s instructions, taking Paracetamol for his headache and Gravol for his upset stomach, swallowing them with a gulp of water that feels divine coating his throat. He drains the glass after he finishes the banana and lets his head fall back on the comfy pillow and wraps himself up in the warmth of the blankets that smell like Harry. He messages Liam telling him he’s okay and he’ll see him later and turns off his phone before Liam can reply back. His mind is fuzzy, the medicines taking effect, his queasy stomach ache gone and his body feeling heavy as the Paracetamol numbs the headache and leaves him tired. As Louis falls back asleep he can’t help but have a smile on his face knowing that maybe Harry didn’t really hate him so much after all.

  


*

  


The thing is; Louis is persistent. He’s used to getting what he wants when he wants it, either by flashing a smile or swiping a card. The fact that no matter how hard he tries he makes very little dents in Harry’s hard exterior makes him try that much harder. It’s not that he’s annoying, but after a while (a good two weeks now) Harry is giving up on trying to be a stiff with Louis. Instead he puts up with his badgering and insistent need to ask Harry out on dates (denying him that much) and Harry seems to grow used to the thing he has going on with Louis. It’s not hard to want to smile when Louis puts that adorable pout on his face as he asks Harry to accompany him on one of his many adventures, but somehow Harry manages just fine. Louis considered this progress.

  


Harry finds it difficult when he’s working though (which is pretty much every day) because Louis will be there, hair slicked back with gel, or down in a fringe that touches his eyelashes, or pushed back by a snapback (and once a headband), his skin tanned and radiant, his smile warm and his eyes inviting, and it takes all of Harry’s restraint to not lean in and kiss him, but that’s what Louis wants and it’s what Harry is trying to prevent. It’s not that Harry is denying his attraction to Louis, because Harry will gladly admit he thinks Louis is a god and that he’d let Louis bend him over the nearest available surface and ravish him in any way he wants, but he can’t let it happen.

  


There’s a part of him that wants it so desperately but he fights it every time Louis’ hand will brush his skin and leave goose bumps in its wake. But the part of him that tells him to make sure it doesn’t happen is much stronger (most times). And so he resists the urges to lean in and kiss him speechless (which would be a miracle for Louis), he resists relaxing into the hugs Louis gives him (even if it’s a hug he’s expecting, because Louis hugs him whenever he sees him). He can’t let himself give in so quickly (though inevitably he knows one day he’ll probably cave).

  


And maybe that would be okay, if he caves. There’s no specific rule against staff being with guests. If it’s what the guest wants, the resort won’t stop it from happening. When hired, the employee signs a contract (typical work business). Within a tiny paragraph of that contract the one clause states that it isn’t forbidden for guests and staff to be with each other, but if the relationships interfere with the staffs working abilities and responsibilities, it must cease. If the relationship ceases to be and it ends with a displeased guest member who doesn’t want to return to the resort because of said employee, the employee will be let go immediately. So that was the upside and downside to it. Harry doesn’t let himself dwell on those details too much because he’s not going to give in without a fight, and maybe he never would have to worry about those rules.

  


“So you never told me what happened. Every time I asked you so far you’ve dodged the question. So how did Louis end up in your room?” Niall says when they’re on break in the lunch room. Harry sighs and stuffs a crisp in his mouth.

  


“He went out, got drunk and just ended up at my door.” Harry says casually. The others in the room don’t hear them.

  


“But that doesn’t explain how he was in your bed.” Niall points out, pointing a fry at him accusingly. Harry rolls his eyes.

  


“I didn’t want him to go home drunk and I don’t know what room he’s in, it just seemed easier to let him sleep there. And no, I didn’t sleep in the bed with him, I got that fucking crick in my neck from the couch.” Harry grumbles and Niall laughs.

  


“Thanks for clearing that up mate. Was beginning to think you got the crick from craning your neck while sucking his-“

  


“Niall!” Harry whines and Niall laughs as he fills his mouth with his chilly cheese chips.

  


“Does he talk when he’s drunk? Like… does he spill his secrets?” Harry blushes.

  


“Yeah, kinda…” Niall’s eyes light up. He’s always been one for gossip.

  


“Details!”

  


“God you’re so the girl in your relationship… He said he was sad because I was mad at him? Because of the article but… he also said he ‘wants to know me but I won’t let him’. And he asked me why I hate him. I don’t hate him. And I told him that. He asked me why I didn’t like him, and I said it was complicated… He told me to uncomplicate it because he likes me… and that was basically it?” Niall stares at Harry, a chip falls from his hand.

  


“Why are you pushing him away then? He’s fit, he likes you, and despite the amount of money in his pockets he’s a really fucking nice guy.” Harry glares.

  


“You fucking know why.”

  


“But he’s not-”

  


“Lads!” The voice calls and Zayn waves. He, Perrie and a few others make their way to the table and plop down beside Harry and Niall. Harry is thankful for the end of the conversation and carries on eating his sandwich and crisps.

  


“So the group of us are going out for drinks tonight, are you two in?” Zayn asks. Niall woops happily.

  


“I’m in. Harry, you game?” Harry nods in agreement.

  


“Great! We’ll text what time we’ll meet, gotta wait til we’re all off shift.” Zayn says thoughtfully. Harry pops the last bite of his sandwich in his mouth before throwing out his garbage and leaving the lunchroom.

  


There is still a good twenty minutes left in Harry’s break so he finds himself walking towards the beach just a few minutes’ walk from the resort. The beach at the resort is shallow waters blocked off and is full of children who like to pee in the water and it’s more of the family beach. This beach is his favourite. Really, his favourite place to be when he’s not working is here. There’s a tree, just an ordinary tree that Harry likes to climb. He’ll climb up there with a book and a banana, water bottle tucked in his pocket and he’ll sit up there for hours watching the waves caress the sand, the horizon fade from blue to pinks and purples and oranges of the sun sets. Sometimes he’ll watch the sunrises too, if he makes himself get up early enough.

  


Today though, he climbs up just to watch the waves, calming him as they swing in, crash upon the sand at the edge of the water, greeting the sand a hello before rolling back out to sea until the next one rolled in. The surfers are out today; Harry can spot Liam coming in on a big wave, making it near the beginning of the water at the sandy beach before he hops off his board and climbs back on it, paddling back out to catch another wave. Harry watches countless surfers try and catch the waves and then he spots him. Louis, of all people, is surfing. He’s quite good if Harry did say so himself, he catches a few good waves, only falls once, and looks like a pro (not that Harry’s seen a pro surfer before but Louis and Liam are the best of the surfers out there today). He watches him get five waves before he’s coming in from the water, the surfboard under his right arm (that is covered in tattoos). He pushes his hair back off his face and he’s grinning. He waves to a few people on the beach, before he makes his way to the bench under the tree just shy of Harry’s. Harry smiles down at him though Louis has no idea he’s up there.

  


“Hey Tony Hawk, nice waves.” He says and Louis jumps, looking up and clutching his chest. He gives out a big breath and laughs.

  


“Shit, scare me why don’t you. And Tony Hawk is a skateboarder, not a surfer you dork.” Louis says as he begins salting off his board. Harry laughs.

  


“Okay, Johnny Tsunami then.” Louis grins.

  


“Haven’t seen that movie since I was a kid.” Louis says thoughtfully.

  


Harry dangles his legs down from where he perches between two branches of the tree. It’s not a palm tree but Harry isn’t really sure what it is. A palm tree is right next to him and he grabs a coconut from one of the smaller trees right beside him. He wallops it hard enough on his tree to crack it in half, he puts it to his lips and tips the half coconut so he can drink the coconut water. Louis watches with knitted eyebrows.

  


“Are you supposed to do that? Isn’t that like… unsanitary?” Harry laughs but carefully grabs another close coconut and then jumps down from his perch. He opens this coconut too and hands half to Louis.

  


“Try it.” He tells him, and Louis eyes him curiously before he carefully sips the water.

  


“Odd.” He says but he sips it until it’s gone. Harry smiles at him before dropping the two halves in the waste bin beside the bench. Louis does the same.

  


“Didn’t know you could surf. Is it hard?” Harry asks as he shoves his hands in his board shorts pockets. They begin to walk towards the resort pool, and when they pass the board locker Louis removes the string link around his ankle before he hands his board to the worker and puts on the pair of sandals the worker hands him before thanking him. Harry watches the interaction before he continues walking to the pool and Louis follows.

  


“Not really, once you get the hang of it it’s easy, but it takes practice. Half my time here is spent surfing. I’ll take your question as a way of telling me you don’t know how to surf?” Louis asks playfully and Harry laughs.

  


“I can’t keep my balance on a flat surface by a pool, what makes you think I can surf?” Louis laughs.

  


“Maybe I can teach you.” Louis says and Harry can’t help but feel the flutter in his stomach of the butterflies erupting as Louis says that. Harry veers right to the pool as Louis heads left. Louis grabs a towel from the pile that the pool boys hand out, and Harry watches him shake out his hair.

  


“Can you unzip me?” Louis asks and turns around, showing Harry his back, he’s speaking about the zipper on his wet suit.

  


“Oh uh, sure?” He says and steps forward reaching his hands up to grip the tiny zipper. He tugs it down until Louis’ tanned back is on display, the zipper stops just above his bum. Harry doesn’t think he’s wearing trunks underneath, or anything.

  


“I’ll be right back, gotta go get changed before I start to chafe.” Louis says with a grin and Harry shivers even though it’s hot. Louis shakes his hair a final time, splattering Harry’s face with cold ocean water. Harry watches as he goes to the hotel.

  


“Hazza, c’mon mate, breaks over.” Niall calls. Harry sighs but runs over to the bar, collects his serving tray, and begins to walk his way around the pool and the patio, talking to guests with his usual charm, collecting empty and abandoned glasses, and taking down new orders from guests in the large pool and seating places around it.

  


“I need two Pina Colada, one water, a rum and coke and a brandy.” Harry rattles off and Niall begins mixing the drinks.

  


“Hey sweetcheeks, care to go on a date with me?” Louis says as he leans against the bar. His hair is perfectly dry again somehow and hangs down in the wispy fringe style today. His aviators changed into boarder shorts and a tee shirt that Harry recognizes.

  


“Nope, can’t. Working. Sorry.” Louis shrugs but he’s grinning back at Harry. It’s the game they like to play and Louis’ not backing down, and Harry’s not giving in.

  


“Well then, I’m just going to keep you company then.” Louis says and hopes up on the wooden bar stool seat and flashes him an award winning smile.

  


Harry rolls his eyes before loading up his tray of the drinks Niall’s finished and Louis smiles at him as he goes to deliver them. He can feel Louis’ eyes on him, it puts him on edge. He manages and for the better part of the next two hours that he’s working, Louis is there talking to Niall, sipping on what Harry thinks is sparkling water, and sending cheeky and flirty comments his way. This has become a normal to them really, Louis likes to hover like this and give Harry soft smiles and cheeky comments, and Harry really doesn’t mind them. He’s growing used to Louis (though he hates to admit it). It could be a good thing, or a really bad thing. He's not really sure which yet.

  


“Alright mate, we’re done for the day.” Niall claps his hand on Harry’s shoulder. Harry sighs in relief, brushing his hair off his face (he forgot his headscarf this morning).

  


“Great! Now will you go out with me?” Louis hops down from his perch, Harry gives him a look.

  


“How many times do I have to say no for you to get the hint?” Harry says with a laugh and Louis flashes a giant grin.

  


“I never give up Harold, you’ll give in eventually.” He says cheekily and Harry huffs out a breath.

  


“Well I’m gunna go catch the trolley…” Niall points before he’s walking towards the trolley stop. Harry watches him go.

  


“Can we please go out for frozen something or other?” Louis whines and Harry knits his eyebrows.

  


“Something or other?” he asks.

  


“Ice cream, fro-yo, gelato, I don’t care I just want something sweet and cold to cool off.” Louis explains.

  


“Can’t you go yourself?” Harry asks with a grin and Louis pouts.

  


“But Hazza, Harry, H, please don’t let me go alone. The world is a scary place. Travelling in pairs is safest now a days!” Harry laughs but he knew he wasn’t about to get out of going with Louis, he’s quite persuasive too. Louis, like a little kid being told yes, jumps and bounces like mad. Harry sets a hand on his shoulder to slow him down and Louis laughs.

  


“I have been meaning to ask you, your shirt- it’s- is it one of the few that The Script threw off stage into the crowd at their concert in London, ’09?” Louis’ grin widens and his eyes are comically large.

  


“Yeah, how’d you know?” He says and Harry laughs.

  


“I was there. I tried to catch one, but there was a little girl beside me, just a little half pint, she was so set on getting a shirt but she obviously wasn’t tall enough, so I picked her up and sat her on my shoulders so she could catch one. She caught one thankfully, and it was okay that I didn’t get one, I’m glad she caught one.” Harry smiles at the memory and Louis giving him a very fond look.

  


“That’s adorable.” Louis says casually. They continue walking in comfortable silence and find a fro-yo place. They get their cups, Harry gets chocolate fro-yo with mini Reese’s and bananas of all things, and Louis gets cookie dough with chocolate and white chocolate chips and caramel sauce and sprinkles with whipped cream.

  


“You’re only getting those two toppings?” Louis asks and Harry smiles.

  


“I am a simple kind of guy.” He shrugs and Louis smiles.

  


“The toppings are the best part. You’ve got to indulge.” Louis says with a teasing tone. When they go to cash, Louis pays despite Harry’s protests and the two find a two person table and dive in. Harry makes an appreciative noise as the fro-yo melts on his tongue. He eyes Louis’ mess of a yogurt before his eyes meet Louis’, which are watching him. Louis takes a spoonful of his and gestures it out to Harry.

  


“Wanna try?” Louis asks and Harry pauses for only a brief moment before giving in and letting himself taste Louis’ concoction. His mouth explodes in heaven.

  


“Jesus, I have died and gone to heaven.” Harry says before sticking his spoon in Louis’ and taking another big bite. Louis squawks out a noise, frowning at his fro-yo.

  


“You’ve cross contaminated my fro-yo.” He says sadly. Harry pauses for a minute, his eyes wide.

  


“Shit you’re not allergic to peanut butter are you?” His heart thuds, he should’ve asked. Louis gets a wicked grin.

  


“No, but I don’t like it that much.” he says in reply. Harry kicks his foot and frowns at him.

  


“Mean.” He says and brushes a dollop of the cold treat on Louis’ nose. Louis goes cross eyed before sticking his tongue out, actually touching his nose and getting the vanilla off of him. Harry is impressed.

  


“I can’t do that.” Harry tells him and Louis grins.

  


“I’m skilled.” He comments.

  


“Extra long tongues come in handy in certain occasions.” Harry says with a devious look in his eyes. Louis ignores the roll of his stomach. He just rolls his eyes as if the comment doesn’t faze him. They eat until they’re full and idly playing with the melted fro-yo in their bowls.

  


“Can I ask you something?” Louis questions after a long silence, he twirls the pink spoon in the melted goop absentmindedly. Harry looks up from where he’s watching Louis’ hand.

  


“Sure?” Harry answers. Louis nods a moment before he opens his mouth to speak.

  


“That night… when I asked you that question… you said it was complicated. How is it complicated? It’s been bothering me because I mean- I don’t think I’m doing something wrong? And sometimes I think you like me? But other times you just shut me out… And I just- I want to know what I am doing wrong… so I can fix it. I really do like you.” Louis says nervously. Harry’s hands stop stirring his chocolate mess, his knee stops bouncing. His face changes from soft and kind to hard and clammed up.

  


“It’s just- I can’t- I’ve got to go.” Harry says icily. Louis can sense he’s crossed the line, and his eyes widen as Harry stands up. Louis scrambles to follow him.

  


“No please, Harry. I’m sorry- you don’t have to answer I just- please don’t shut me out again. Fuck- H, we’ve had such a good day I didn’t mean to ruin it! Please, I’m just trying to understand-” Louis grabs Harry’s hand before he can exit the shop. Harry turns around and stares down at Louis. Louis looks like a kicked puppy.

  


“There’s nothing to understand, Louis. I told you it was complicated and I meant it. There isn’t an easy fix to it. Please just drop it.” Harry utters through clenched teeth. He pulls his hand free of Louis’ grasp and pushes open the door of the shop and lets it swish behind him, Louis standing there. He follows Harry out of the shop but Harry is too far down the street to catch up. Louis is so frustrated with himself, he grips his hair and tugs on it.

  


“You’re so fucking stupid, Louis.” He mutters to himself. He starts to walk back to the resort, alone.

  


He thinks he should’ve brought his skateboard. Maybe he could’ve taught Harry how to ride the skateboard on the way. It’s too late for that now. He grumbles to himself and kicks pebbles all the way home. When he gets back to his hotel suite he runs to his bed, falls face first onto it, and screams into his pillow. He doesn’t know how long he lays like that, until he finally sits up and realizes it’s nearly dinner time. He needs a distraction.

  


“Let’s see.” He says and scrolls through his phone, looking at all his contacts. Mainly it’s friends from charity events, Liam, his family back home, some brands he’s promoting by wearing their merchandise. He sighs and begins to scroll through again and he stops on one name.

  


Aidee Parker. He smiles at the name. Beautiful girl. She has soft and kind brown eyes with fluttery eyelashes, and hair the colour of sunlight through a window or sand at a beach, it falls just past her shoulder in soft wavy tendrils. Her cheekbones are delicate and her jaw is chiseled in a natural way, no harsh lines. She has a small button nose, and a dainty pair of lips that always look kissed. Simply put she is an effortless type of beautiful. And her personality is just as nice. She’s sweet, caring, and like Louis, a child of a socialite that doesn’t take it for granted. She also attended the same grade school as Louis. She happens to be one of Louis’ fathers best mates daughters. They saw a lot of each other as children.

  


He always promised her a date. They’d never gone on one before, always busy with other things and Louis wasn’t really one to date. He knew that she was local this time of year, spending her time at the resort like every other socialite child, but she also did volunteer work during the summer. He nodded to himself before he could talk himself out of it and hit the ‘call’ button beside her name. He let out a breathe before the other end picked up.

  


“Hello?” A soft voice croons into the speaker. Louis smiles, just as he remembers her.

  


“Hey, Aidee. It’s Louis. Louis Tomlinson?” He says and he hears a laugh on the other end.

  


“I know it’s you silly, I do have caller ID.” She tells him though her voice is light and joking.

  


“Right. Funny that, new technology and all.” He says and he realizes how dumb he sounds. He lets out a frustrated breath and she’s quiet on the other end.

  


“Are you alright, Louis?” She asks and Louis smiles. She can sense it.

  


“Not really. I- I just really want to do something fun tonight, and I was hoping you would want to join me?” How stupid did that sound? The voice on the other end is surprised.

  


“Oh! Um, I’d love that actually. I was meant to spend some time with Aly tonight- you remember her don’t you? She’s usually my wing girl at charity events- anyways she had to cancel on me tonight, I think her boyfriend just arrived this evening from London and so their having… some alone time.” She says but the implied reference is noted.

  


“Dear me, they must be playing board games or something rather dull.” He teases and Aidee laughs back.

  


“Checkers and pick-up sticks no doubt.” When they hang up minutes later, things have been set. They are to meet in the restaurant in an hour; to follow that will be a night out on the town. Louis didn’t know Aidee was the kind of girl to out and party but when she suggested it he wasn’t about to turn that down.

  


He dresses casually, well casually for him anyway. His boarder shorts replaced for a good pair of shorts and he puts on a pale blue button up tee shirt, and then pulls on his half sleeve jean jacket on top of it. The nights are a bit cooler in the night here (he’s thankful for that) and the jacket is thin, more for decoration to his outfit than anything. He decides to change his hair, flicking it up in a messy quiff with wisps here and there. He deems himself presentable as he slips on his shoes and tucks his wallet in his pocket with his phone and he’s off.

  


He waits at the door of the restaurant for all of five minutes before she’s walking over to him, a smile on her face. She looks effortlessly stunning. Her makeup is simple, normal cat-flick eyeliner and a peach blusher to accentuate her new tan, a pink tint to her lips. Her hair is in curly tendrils and parted to the side, a flower tucked behind her left ear. Her navy blue dress is casual, a simple spaghetti strap sun dress, tight fitted up top and twirly at the bottom. The purple flower pattern on it makes it summery. She paired it with a pair of Doc Marten block platform heels.

  


“You look stunning.” He says to her as she wraps her arms around him in a hug. She giggles before pulling back. He kisses her cheek quickly as a greeting and she flushes a beautiful pink.

  


“You look fit yourself, kind sir. Shall we go eat, I’m starving.” She says and Louis grins.

  


“My kinda lady. Let us go.” He says playfully and she links her arm with his. They’re seated and the meal is simple. Louis orders their best wine for them and he and Aidee have a wonderful dinner. She’s easy to get along with, making witty jokes and talking like someone from a classic literature novel, and she talks of the volunteering she does.

  


“This one volunteer, she was confused about what she was supposed to be doing and the volunteer leader started yelling at her! She had no reasoning for it either, just started ripping a strip out of the little volunteer for kicks. So I made a point of saying how the girl, I think her name was Sarah or something with an S, how the leader was just standing there with a clip board and we were doing the work, she nearly lost it until the mission operator took note of the conflict happening, and said that we, the volunteers, were correct and that the volunteer leader was meant to be helping us and showing us what we were to be doing. She nearly got fired! I felt bad for it, but I was almost hoping she was.” Louis grins at Aidee as she explains her story with excited hand gestures and wide wonderful eyes. Louis tells jokes and stories to make her laugh, and sooner than expected the dinner is over.

  


“That was lovely, thank you.” She says as they begin to leave. Louis places a hand at the small over her back to guide her.

  


“You’re welcome.” He says with a smile.

  


They end up at a club Louis’ never been to but Aidee knows quite well, she sees a few of her friends, including Aly and her boyfriend, just arrived and looking awfully pale compared to the rest of the tanned lot. Louis and her get shots to start, the hard vodka to get them feeling good and happy. He loosens up but only does one of his three shots, passing the others to their little group. He doesn’t want to have a fuzzy mind tonight, just wants to forget earlier and have a good time, mostly sober.

  


“Let’s dance?” Aidee asks and leads him to the group of people.

  


They dance for what seems like hours (it’s been two) until Louis lets Aidee dance with her friends a few songs and sits in the booth of the table with Aly’s boyfriend, Logan and he sips at his drink, coke with lime. Logan sips at a beer, watching the girls dance. They’re quiet for a bit before Logan looks over to Louis and gives him a smile.

  


“You look so thrilled, man.” Louis has heard him talk once before but it was muffled by music and drinks. Now hearing him clearly, he’s surprised to find he’s not from the UK like he originally thought, that’s clear.

  


“You’re American.” Louis says surprised and Logan laughs.

  


“Last time I checked, yeah.” He takes a sip of beer.

  


“How come you’re not drinking? Not a drinker?” Logan asks and Louis laughs.

  


“No, hardly. I just don’t feel like having a killer hangover tomorrow. I’m buzzing; she got me to take a vodka shot.” Louis grins and Logan nods.

  


“You look like someone crumbled your animal cookies, to be honest with you.” Logan says simply and Louis sighs.

  


“Feeling like it too, if I’m honest. Shit, is it that obvious?” Louis panics and Logan shrugs.

  


“No, not really. I just read people better than others.” Louis nods. He doesn’t want to seem like he’s a party pooper.

  


“I am having a good time, it’s just some things happened earlier, kinda still stings.” He tells Logan and nods like he understand but he really doesn’t. Soon after their little chat, he and Logan are dragged out for another dance with the girls and he really gives it his all to let himself have fun and he finds that the more he doesn’t think the more fun he has. Maybe he should drink to loosen up more.

  


“This has been amazing Louis!” Aidee shouts over the music and he grins at her.

  


She leans up and leaves a kiss to his lips, which surprises him. He kisses her back, his hand cradles the back of her head, and it’s nice. But behind his eyelids he pictures green eyes and blow job lips and dimples and curly brown hair and it feels wrong to be kissing her when he’s thinking of him. It reminds him of what happened with Alex last time and it puts a sour taste in his mouth. He can’t do it. He doesn’t want to show his distress, so he slowly pulls back and smiles at her.

  


“That was nice.” He says and she smiles back, twirling her fingers at the nape of his neck in the hair there.

  


“You’re nice.” She says with a laugh and Louis can tell she’s having fun. The alcohol makes her giggly, and it’s sort of really cute to see her having fun like this. She’s really into dancing, but she complies to sit out after a while, catching her breath, having a drink and resting her feet.

  


“You really like to dance, don’t you?” He questions and she laughs as she sips her raspberry sangria.

  


“It’s nice to let go sometimes. It’s gunna kill me tomorrow at six in the morning though.” He laughs, of course she’s volunteering tomorrow.

  


“You could’ve declined my offer you know, I would’ve understood.” He tells her and she brushes him off, resting her head on his shoulder.

  


“When do you ever invite me to do anything? This wasn’t an opportunity I was lucking out on. I’ll be fine, Paracetamol will be my best friend tomorrow.” She says with a smile and Louis feels bad that he doesn’t invite her out more.

  


“I never knew you were that kind of girl to come out and party. I never see it in the tabs and never hear about it through mutual friends. I will definitely invite you next time.”  She smiles at him and closes her eyes for a moment. Louis smiles at her as he watches her take in the music, and then his eyes look up and scans the room. He senses eyes on him somewhere and he tries to find them. A flash of green meet his and they make him stiffen- shit.

  


“Shit.” He says out loud. Harry. Harry is here and staring at him with eyes that are filled with pain and- is that jealousy in Harry’s eyes? It cant be.

  


“What’s the matter?” Aidee asks, stops dancing and turns to look for whatever Louis saw, Louis shakes his head.

  


“Nothing.” He says, looking away from Harry. When he looks back Harry isn’t there at all. Maybe he’s seeing things.

  


“You sure?” She presses and Louis nods. He lets her get him a shot of vodka and he knocks it back so fast he nearly chokes. She claps and then he drags her out to the dance floor, spinning her and laughing. They dance to a song and Louis holds her close, trying to relax but the feeling of eyes on him is creeping up to him again.

  


“Louis.” The voice is in his ear and makes him shiver. It was just a whisper, and he turns his head but no one is there. What the fuck kind of game is his mind playing with him?

  


“Louis.” Aidee says louder. Louis looks at her and she gives a soft smile.

  


“Yes?” He questions and she points.

  


“We’re making a trip to the loo, be right back.” She kisses his cheek and grabs Aly’s hand and they make their way to the ladies room. Louis makes his way to the table they keep returning to and he rests his chin on his hand. He tries to spot Logan and spots Harry instead. He nearly hurls his drink in his direction.

  


Harry is wearing a black button up shirt that his sleeves are rolled up a bit past his elbows. He’s got skinny jeans on for Christ’s sakes, in this hot club? His hair is pushed off his face by a navy green brown coloured headscarf. He looks like sex on legs and Louis wants to climb him like a tree. He watches Harry laughing as if he doesn’t know that Louis’ in the club. Sees him talking and laughing again with Niall and a black quiffed haired guy. He sighs.

  


“Hey.” Aidee says and sits across from him. He smiles but his eyes are still trained to Harry. He wants to storm over there and demand to know what Harry’s problem is, why he’s fine one minute, flirting with Louis and the next he’s shut right up and looking at Louis like he’s the demon he’s running from and off in a dash. He feels a hand shaking his arm and he looks to Aidee who looks concerned.

  


“I’ve been calling you for like five minutes, where did your brain go?” She asks playfully and he smiles sadly.

  


“Lou, you’re not okay. I can tell. What’s the matter?” She says like a concerned mother and he shrugs.

  


“I just…”

  


“You can tell me, even if you think it’s going to hurt me. I assure you it won’t.” She tells him honestly and how could anyone not love her? Really?

  


“There’s a boy-” he says and she grins.

  


“Details, details!” She shouts and he laughs bitterly.

  


“I feel like we’re doing a dance, we talk two steps forward to take a massive one back… He works at the resort.” He explains and Aidee seems to follow him.

  


“He’s here, isn’t he?” She questions and Louis swallows.

  


“It’s the curly haired fellow over there, isn’t it?” She asks with a knowing smile, he looks to where she pointed and sure enough there’s Harry standing like a god on a pedestal with that beautiful dimpled smile as he talks to a pink haired girl. Louis gasps.

  


“How could you tell?” He is baffled, he never even told her about him.

  


“For one, I see you around the resort with him, following him like a lost puppy. For two, you’ve been staring for a good five minutes and three, you’re Louis Tomlinson, you don’t give up on someone as fast as that.” She says as if the answer was obvious to everyone but him.

  


“And how do you know that?” He asks and she laughs.

  


“You fancied me in primary school, followed me for a good year. You even shared your jammy dodgers with me. I should’ve taken that opportunity when I had the chance.” She says with a reminiscing smile. He blinks his eyes at her in surprise.

  


“You remember that?” He asks and blushes and she laughs even louder.

  


“Oh Louis I remember very well. I recall the time the boy pushed me off the swing and you got worms from your mother’s garden and shoved them in his pants and in his sandwich as revenge. You were quite my protector.” She says and places her hand on his.

  


“Wow, you’ve got a great memory.” He says and she nods. She picks at her fingernails a moment before meeting his eyes.

  


“I should probably get going, Lou. I’ve got to be up early tomorrow.” She grins and Louis smiles at her.

  


“You’re not cross with me, are you?”

  


“No, I am not cross. I had a wonderful night, it was lovely and I would love for it to happen again as friends. I’d like to think we’re friends, Louis. And friends don’t let other friends be miserable. Go talk to him.” She encourages and he hugs her tightly.

  


“Thank you.” He breathes in her ear and feels her hug back.

  


“Go get him, tiger.” She teases before she makes her way to the exit. He decides to walk her to the door and see that she gets into a taxi safely. He gives her his jacket to wear and she thanks him again, kissing the corner of his mouth before the taxi drives away. He can’t stop smiling. She’s literally amazing.

  


He returns inside a moment after the taxi is out of sight and scans the room and looks for him but Harry isn’t at his table anymore. He sighs and makes his way to the dance floor. If he can’t find Harry, he can at least have some fun before leaving. So he lets himself go, he dances amongst the throng of people and after a moment he loses himself to the beat of the music. A pair of hands trail his hips and he wants to think it’s Harry but it’s some guy with dark eyes and Louis isn’t interested at all. He shakes his head to decline the dancer but he doesn’t shake him. He tries to get the hands off him and when he finally does he weaves through the crowd. His breathing is laboured and he’s creeped the fuck out. He makes his way to the rest room. He looks paled and his eyes look tired and he sighs. He leans over the sink, turns on the cold water and splashes his face twice to refresh himself. He pats his face with paper towel and when he looks in the mirror he jumps, seeing the creepy guy standing behind him. his heart thuds against his chest and he scrambles to grab the door. He tugs but it doesn’t open. The guy’s foot is in front of it. Shit.

  


“What’s your problem, mate?” Louis asks with a frown and the guy laughs.

  


“You denied me a dance, _mate._ No one does that.” Louis’ face is confused and scared as fuck. He tugs on the door again but it won’t budge. He’s trapped.

  


“Cute.” The guy says before he’s grabbing Louis’ arm, tugging him away from the door.

  


Louis fights him but the guy has height and muscle and Louis’ got- Louis has nothing. He’s shorter and his muscles are doing fuck all right now. Soon enough he’s got Louis pinned against the wall and Louis is struggling to get free, shouting for this fucker to get off him but the man just presses forward. This is beyond fucked up. Louis is terrified and feels like giving up but that’s what the man wants. He shouts at the top of his lungs before the guy is covering his mouth. He tries to bite him and the guy laughs. Louis feels fucking useless. In a last resort, he uses what force he has left to launch his body forward as he knees the creepy fuck in the balls. The guys releases Louis and stumbles back and falls to his knees and Louis slides down the wall in shock and fear instead of running. That was it; he had nothing left to give. Just as the man returns to his feet, the door opens. The person takes in the scene and in an instant they’re moving.

  


“You fucker!” he hears a voice shout and when his eyes clear and he looks up and sees Harry. Harry is gripping the man by the shirt and the man is cowering. Harry throws a solid punch, blood splatters the wall and the guy makes a garbled noise as he covers his nose. Harry wipes the blood off his knuckles before crouching at eye level to Louis.

  


“Louis, it’s Harry. Hey, it’s me. Did he hurt you? Louis, you need to tell me, did he hurt you?” Louis shakes his head.

  


“He came onto me; I tried to get him off of me.” He hiccups and Harry nods. He scoops Louis up and gets him to stand, he cups Louis’ cheek.

  


“We’re going to go now, okay?” Louis eyes the bastard on the floor. His eyes meet Harry’s, wide and scared and full of tears threatening to overflow.

  


“C’mon, let’s go.” He says and wraps an arm around Louis’ waist. Louis follows and keeps his eyes on Harry.

  


“Christ, what happened?” Niall asks.

  


“I’m taking Louis back to the resort. Some fucker tried to make a pass at him. It got… violent.” Harry says calmly and Niall nods as if he understands. Harry waves to the others before leading Louis outside. Louis is breathing normally and has a hand on Harry’s hand around his waist, so Harry moves his arm and just clasps Louis’ hand in his. They get in a taxi and Louis won’t let Harry’s hand go. Harry is compliant and lets Louis do as he pleases and Louis ought to smile at that but he really just feels like crying. That was traumatic, and he doesn’t know what would’ve happened if Harry hadn’t come in to stop it.

  


“Thank you.” Louis manages quietly. Harry gives him a small smile.

  


“You’re welcome. You’re okay now, I promise. You’re safe.” It’s as if Harry had had something similar happen before, he knew just what to say right now. Louis swallows and blinks before looking into Harry’s concerned eyes.

  


“How did you know?” Louis asks and Harry blushes.

  


“I was kinda watching you when I noticed you were here. Just keeping an eye out. I had a bad feeling about tonight. So when you went to the loo but didn’t come back out, I came to see if you were okay…”

  


“You were spying on me.” Louis says calmly. Talking to Harry made things easier. Harry blushes red.

  


“Of sorts.” Louis actually smiles then.

  


“Why?” He asks and Harry coughs. They arrive at the resort and Harry pays for the cab and Louis isn’t in his right mind to tell him to charge it to his card or let him pay. Harry stops in front of the resort doors and Louis grabs his hand again, tugging him behind him.

  


“What are you doing?” Harry asks and Louis looks frightened.

  


“Come with me? I don’t- I can’t-” He’s frantic and Harry just sighs.

  


“Okay.” He follows and Louis calms slightly. They go inside and the check in desk waves them through giving Harry a curious look but doesn’t call him out on it. Louis pulls Harry to the lift and waits.

  


“So what floor are you on?” Harry asks. Louis just plugs a key, an actual key and not a card into the elevator and turns it, the lift begins to move on its own. Harry is confused but when it opens there’s a small corridor hallway with potted plants and décor and a single door. Oh.

  


“Penthouse?” Harry asks and Louis nods. He unlocks the door and steps inside, holding the door for Harry.

  


“Liam has the other.” Louis tells him and Harry nods.

  


He’s gobsmacked. This is the penthouse. It’s like a fucking apartment. He sees a living room with a giant TV and couches that look like clouds and a giant dining room table made of dark red cherry wood. The sectional couches are a cream colour and look so comfy. Around the corner there is a set of stairs leading up to- Harry doesn’t know what, and he can see the bedroom. He assumes the bathroom is through the bedroom but he’s surprised to see another door just beside the bedrooms.

  


“Christ what does this run?” He says without thinking but Louis curls up on the couch with a sigh.

  


“Fifteen for the summer.” Louis says plainly. Harry knits his eyebrows.

  


“Fifteen hundred?” Louis gives him a ‘really’ look.

  


“Fifteen thousand, actually.” Harry nearly passes out at the price. He sits down beside Louis and is surprised when Louis immediately rests his head on Harry’s shoulder.

  


“Thank you… for staying.” He replies in a soft voice Harry’s heart feels like mush right now. Louis seems so small and fragile and it’s really quite scary to not see him bouncing everywhere and full of energy. It was scary to see him so frightened in the restroom of the club.

  


“You’re welcome.” He replies. The silence is deafening until he heard a choked noise that comes from Louis. He wraps his arms around Louis instinctively and Louis lets himself be held.

  


“I felt so fucking useless. I was too small. I couldn’t do anything. I got him off me and then I just froze, I just froze and he would’ve come onto me again if you hadn’t-“

  


“Sh… it’s okay, it’s over now, it didn’t happen, you’re safe and I’m here. You’re safe.” Louis sniffles into Harry’s arm.

  


“I’m safe because of you.” Louis says softly and Harry smiles.

  


“Hey, you saved me at the pool that day.” Louis smiles at that thought and hiccups.

  


“Yeah. Thought you were proper fit when I saw you.” Louis tells him and Harry’s heart gives a flutter.

  


“You don’t think I’m fit now then?” He asks to make Louis laugh instead of cry because Louis crying is like watching a puppy be run over by a car. It’s horrible. And yet Harry thinks he’s still the most handsome person he’s ever seen. His eyes are big and so blue and they shine even more with the tears blurring them. He absentmindedly brushes a hand through Louis’ hair and wipes the remaining tears away from Louis’ face. Louis laughs like Harry wanted and he beams at Harry.

  


“I still think you’re proper fit. You know that.” Harry smiles back at him. It’s quiet before Louis speaks up.

  


“I’m sorry about earlier. So you know.” He says softly and Harry sighs.

  


“Don’t be. I… I overreacted.” Harry tells him and Louis sighs.

  


“I won’t ask anymore… if that’s what you want.” He tells him and Harry makes Louis look at him.

  


“It’s not what I want… I just… I don’t know how to explain it so it’s better left unsaid. Okay? I’m sorry if I shut you out, I don’t try to do that… I do like you Louis, I will admit that.” He tells Louis and Louis freezes.

  


“You do?” Louis asks with a small smile.

  


“Yeah, I do.” Louis is grinning now. He clears his throat and nods.

  


“Thank you, for telling me.” Louis says and turns around. Harry is confused as he walks away.

  


“Where’re you going?” Harry asks and Louis points.

  


“Shower. There’s a shower in the other bathroom too if you wish to use it. I’m sure I have something that will fit your gigantosaurus rex body.” Louis says playfully and Harry smiles. He stands and nods.

  


“I will put the clothes on the table out here for when you’re finished. Towels are fresh in there.” He says before disappearing into his room. Harry turns to look at the bathroom and rolls his eyes. Of course it’s beautiful.

  


The walls are black and look like wood, modern walls now a days. The tiling is a purple black colour on the floor. The silver accents of the sink and taps of both the shower and bath are pristine. The tub looks like a Jacuzzi. And the shower looks like you could fit five people in it comfortably. The walls of the walk in shower is black tiling too, the other two walls are glass. Harry gets into the shower and sets the water to a gloriously hot steamy temperature and lets the high pressure water pelt his back and relieve the tension and aches.

  


He wets his hair and reaches into the in wall shelf to retrieve the shampoo. He was expecting to find the hotels shampoo but is delighted to see a bottle of shampoo he knows from home. Of course he’s only seen it in shop window for an outrageous price but he’s not surprised that Louis uses only the best. He places a dollop in his hand and begins to massage his scalp almost groaning in contentment. The shower smells of Louis’ hair, a soft minty smell. The shampoo makes Harry’s scalp tingle in the best way and when he washes it out his hair has never felt cleaner. He washes his body with Louis’ body wash as well, and he leave the shower with a towel around his waist smelling just like Louis. It’s comforting, in a way.

  


As promised Louis has left pyjamas on the table just outside the door. Harry dries off his body before slipping the clothes on. The sweat pants fit alright, a little short in the leg but Harry doesn’t mind. The shirt is snug across his shoulders but it’s so soft that Harry doesn’t want to ever take it off. He dries his hair as best he can before leaving the bathroom the way he found it, pristine and perfect. Louis is in his room, the light is out and he can see Louis is asleep already. Harry shuts out all the lights apart from the bathroom which he leaves on and just shuts the door most of the way, and then makes his way to the couch. He pulls the throw off the back of the couch though he doubts he’ll use it. He’s almost asleep when-

  


“No!” shouts Louis in terror. Harry’s eyes are open so fast and his heart is pounding and he nearly cracked his knee off the coffee table but Louis gives another shout and he rushes down the hall to the room.

  


The bed is messed from Louis’ frantic thrashing, he’s tossing and turning, a look of pure horror etched into his sleeping face. Harry climbs up on the bed crawling over to Louis and starts to shake him gently.

  


“Louis, Louis it’s Harry wake up!” He calls but Louis is still thrashing.

  


“Get off of me! No! Get off-” Louis sits up suddenly and gasps as he does so, he’s clutching his chest and his body is wracking in sobs and he falls into Harry’s arms and lets himself be held.

  


“God. Oh god. Harry, oh god.” He cries gently and Harry soothes him.

  


“It’s okay, you’re safe, you’re okay, I’m here, you’re safe Louis.” He coos and Louis nods. His sobs turn to cries turn to hiccups and heaving breathing.

  


“Never had a nightmare like that before. I hope it doesn’t make a habit of invading my beauty rest.” Louis tries to joke but hiccups at the end. Harry chuckles a little bit.

  


“You’re okay now?” Louis nods. Harry’s arms go to release him when Louis clasps his shirt tighter.

  


“Yes. But please don’t leave me. Please.” Harry sighs. The bed is much comfier than the couch (though he isn’t sure how that’s possible) and he can see how scared Louis is so he gives in, pushes the blankets from beneath him down the bed and he lays down in the center of the bed. Louis curls up beside him, resting his head on Harry’s chest and not releasing his grip on Harry’s shirt. He sighs comfortably though.

  


“Thank you, Harry.” Louis says. Harry rubs his back comfortingly.

  


“You’re welcome.” Harry says back. They’re quiet for a while and Harry thinks Louis’ gone back to sleep so he’s surprised when Louis shifts a tiny bit to get comfy.

  


“Harry?” Harry hums as a response.

  


“Go on a date with me?” Harry can’t help but smile and give a tiny chuckle. He rests his chin on the top of Louis’ head.

  


“Ask me again in the morning when we’re sober and I may be stupid enough to say yes this time.” He says and presses a soft kiss to Louis’ temple, surprising them both but Louis can’t keep the grin off his face, even half asleep.

  


“I really hope you are.”

  


*

  


When Louis wakes up in the morning, he’s expecting to be alone. The sun is streaming through his picture window and there’s a delightful breeze blowing the white curtains in. He can smell the beach’s ocean water in the air. He hasn’t opened his eyes yet though, but he senses today might end up being a good day. When his eyes finally do open, he’s delighted and surprised to see he’s not alone. His head rests on the chest of Harry. Harry’s arms are wrapped tightly around his waist and Harry breathes little puffs of hot air into Louis’ hair where his chin rests on Louis’ head. All emotion is wiped of Harry’s face, just a soft beautiful relaxed face, no worry creases and wrinkles around his eyes and forehead, no frown tugging on his lips. His lips are pursed slightly. Louis thinks he’s a million kinds of beautiful as he takes him in.

  


He absentmindedly starts trailing his fingers along Harry’s face, tracing him to memory. Harry doesn’t even flinch during Louis’ actions, doesn’t even make a change in breathing pattern or anything to signal that he’s awake and aware of what Louis is doing. Louis trails his fingers under Harry’s chin and giggles (he fucking _giggles_ ) that Harry doesn’t have any scruff or facial hair growing like Louis does.

  


“What are you doing?” Harry asks calmly in a gravelly voice. Louis nearly jumps off the bed in surprise, he goes to move but Harry holds him close. Harry’s eyes don’t open.

  


“Christ, scare the bejesus out of me.” Louis says and Harry smiles and sighs, tucking his face against Louis’ shoulder.

  


“Cuddly thing you are in the morning.” Louis notes and Harry hums in agreement.

  


“Don’t change the subject mister. What were you doing?” Louis blushes and hides his face.

  


“I don’t know. I thought you were sleeping.” He replies back and Harry is silent for a moment. Has he gone back to sleep so quickly?

  


“Times it?” He asks and Louis cranes to see over Harry’s broad shoulders, noting the time on the alarm clock.

  


“Half nine. I was surprised to see you were still here when I woke up. Thought you would’ve bolted or summat.” Louis confesses quietly and Harry frowns even though he’s not yet opened his eyes once.

  


“No, I wouldn’t do that. ‘S my day off and I’m comfy. Do you want me to go?” Harry asks and he finally opens his eyes fluttering his eyelashes to make his eyes focus. The shocking celadon green pierces Louis and nearly takes Louis’ breath away.

  


“No! I mean, no. I just…” Louis trails off and says nothing else. Harry slowly falls back to sleep and Louis takes the opportunity to slip out of his hold and go into the main space of his room. He sits on the couch before deciding he wants breakfast and he calls room service.

  


When Harry opens his eyes next he’s alone in the big giant bed but there’s a scent in the air that’s making his mouth water. He hums out loud and throws back the thin duvet of the bed. He is overheating, he takes off the shirt Louis gave him and he strolls out into the living room half dressed. Louis sits at the end of the long dining table and watches television, some sort of soap opera in another language. He’s about to shovel another spoonful of what looks like oatmeal into his mouth when he sees Harry half dressed, the oatmeal falls off his spoon into his bowl and his mouth is hanging wide open. Harry gives him a grin and Louis snaps out of it, picks his jaw up off the floor and blushes down at his oatmeal.

  


“I um… ordered breakfast? I wasn’t sure what you like so I kinda just got everything.” Louis admits as Harry takes in the spread. He sees oatmeal and toast stacks, pancakes, boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, bacon, different types of sausages and home fries, a proper fry up. Harry’s mouth salivates and his stomach gurgles loudly.

  


“You’ve enough to feed a whole army here.” Harry says and Louis laughs.

  


“I know. I figured what we didn’t eat we could ask for it to be delivered to the staff room for breakfast extras. I know the breakfast down there isn’t very selective.” Harry doesn’t let that small comment bug him, Louis is right. Usually breakfast in the staff room is cereal, grits, and if you’re nice enough to the cooks they sometimes give you bacon for free. Otherwise you have to actually buy a breakfast.

  


“Okay.” Harry says and begins grabbing things for his plate. He fills it with scrambled eggs and bacon and sausage, home fries and only one pancake, gets a small bowl of oatmeal and slices banana and strawberry with maple and brown sugar into it, and puts one hardboiled egg in the egg holder. Louis eyes him with an incredulous smile.

  


“You’re a breakfast person I take it?” Harry grins as he begins to crack the hardboiled egg with his spoon.

  


“I’m not going to pass up a good breakfast when it’s offered, if that’s what you’re asking.” Harry replies and scoops some oatmeal in his mouth.

  


“Does Niall know you’re here?” Louis asks calmly, twirling his spoon in his oatmeal. Harry pauses eating to look up. He swallows and takes a deep breath.

  


“I’m sure he can safely assume I’m here. I don’t have to check in with him or anything he just likes to keep an eye out for me because my mum would have his head if her baby got hurt here. We never told her about the whole pool incident. She’d make me come home.” Harry tells Louis and Louis smiles.

  


“So you’re a mama’s boy?” Louis teases and Harry grins.

  


“Of course I am. Aren’t you?” Harry asks and Louis shrugs.

  


“I guess. I’m the oldest of the kids and one of two boys… my mum calls often but I hardly see her anymore? She’s got five girls and a little guy to raise and all. She doesn’t really make time for me unless I ask her too.” Louis shrugs. He doesn’t seem upset by this.

  


“You’ve five sisters? And a brother?! I can barely handle having Gem.” Harry says as a change of subject and Louis smiles.

  


“Gem’s your sister then?” Harry nods.

  


“Gemma is her name… my older sister.” Harry tells him as he scoops pancake into his mouth. His eyes roll back as he chews and hums happily.

  


“Is that why you’ve the iced gem tattoo?” Harry smiles. He holds his arm out to display all his tattoos and points to the small biscuit tattoo.

  


“Yeah. And this one, it’s her name in Hebrew and this G is for her too. This A and this A is for my mum.” Harry explains and Louis nods as he takes all this in. Harry is obviously a very family oriented man.

  


“I’ll be right back, yeah? Gonna go get dressed.” Louis tells him and Harry nods with a smile on his face and a dollop of ketchup at the corner of his mouth that Louis wants to kiss away. He lets that thought go as he makes his way into his bedroom and breathes. He checks his phone and curses when he sees how many messages from Liam he has. His heart thumps loud and panicked when he reads the newest message from Liam.

  


_WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU LOUIS? I AM COMING TO YOUR ROOM._

  


Shit. He quickly throws on a pair of board shorts and a Marvel Comics tee shirt, and he’s making his way to the living room when he hears the continues rap of a fist on his hotel room door. His heart stops when he sees half naked Harry opening the door to a worried Liam. Liam is very surprised to see Harry open the door and his face softens immediately.

  


“Oh! Hiya Harry um… Lou here?” Liam says with a very deep blush to his cheeks. Harry opens the door further and Liam can see Louis peeking around the corner with a guilty look on his face. Liam brushes past Harry and gives Louis a look.

  


“Can I talk to you a minute?” Liam asks in a not so subtle way. Louis heads back into the bedroom with a sigh and is shoved at the bed when the door closes behind them.

  


“What the fuck Louis! I’ve been trying to message you all night and you don’t answer! You scare the shit out of me, you always answer! And then I come here and find Harry here like… dressed like you shagged!” Liam is ripping his hair out and Louis flinches at Liam’s loud words, praying Harry doesn’t hear.

  


“Li, it’s… I’m sorry for frightening you it’s just- something happened last night-“

  


“You shagged him didn’t you?” Louis’ eyes widen.

  


“No, we’ve not shagged, or kissed, or anything remotely close to what you’re thinking. Can I explain?” Louis asks and Liam sighs, sitting beside him, nodding for him to continue.

  


“We went for frozen yogurt after his shift got finished because I begged him to go with me… I opened my big yap and crossed him and he stormed off when I thought things were going well… so I talked to Aidee and we went out for dinner and then went dancing and drinking at a club I’d never been too… Harry was there. And… and something happened…” Louis twiddles his thumbs and looks at his feet and he can hear Liam’s concern in the short breath he takes.

  


“Did he hurt you Louis?” He asks and Louis’ eyes snap up.

  


“No god, he didn’t… He saved me really. A guy came onto me and I couldn’t get him off me… if Harry hadn’t been there I don’t know what would’ve happened… so he brought me home to make sure I was okay and he stayed the night. Nothing happened between us… He held me while I slept… kept me safe. He makes me feel safe.” Louis tells Liam and takes his hand in his. Liam gives a comforting squeeze.

  


“So you shared a bed then?” Louis nods. Liam rests a hand on his shoulder.

  


“I’m sorry for snapping at you. Just got worried when you didn’t answer.”

  


“My phone was on silent, I didn’t know you’d been texting me. I’m sorry for not answering.” Louis replies. Liam shrugs it off and hugs Louis tightly.

  


“As long as you’re okay. Now let me go thank Harry.” Liam says softly and the two leave the bedroom to find Harry slipping his shoes on at the front door. He’s pulled his shirt on from yesterday. The idea of him leaving makes Louis’ chest hurt.

  


“Where are you going?” He asks quietly and Harry straightens up and looks back at him.

  


“I thought you and Liam had plans today, was gunna get out of your hair.” Harry says with flushed cheeks.

  


“We don’t have anything planned, I was hoping…” Liam doesn’t let Louis finish, he kisses Louis’ cheek quickly and then he goes and hugs Harry tightly, surprising them both.

  


“Thank you for taking care of him last night.” Liam says before he’s exiting the hotel room, a smile on his face and a nod in Louis’ direction as if to say ‘go get him, tiger’.

  


“You didn’t have plans?” Louis shakes his head.

  


“He got worried when I didn’t respond to his texts. He sent about thirty of them and I am very quick at replying, most times.” He grins and Harry nods, understanding.

  


“Well I suppose I should-”

  


“Harry?” Harry turns from where he’s about to leave the hotel room. He gives Louis a look and Louis smiles at him playfully.

  


“Go on a date with me.” Harry can’t help but grin.

  


So Louis did remember what he said last night. And he looks so hopeful. Harry thinks of all the reasons why he should say no. Of all the personal reasons why he’s never said yes to Louis’ reoccurring question. He thinks about how they don’t involve Louis. The reason is in his past, not his present. He thinks of all the things he wants with Louis, all the things he denies himself of doing or having. He realizes just how much he wants them. He knows he can have them, because Louis wants them too. So why is he so afraid to say yes? It’s always on the tip of his tongue when he says no to Louis. He takes a deep breath.

  


“Okay.” Louis’ face spreads into an even bigger smile, one so bright it could blind someone. Harry steps back towards Louis and Louis captures Harry in his arms and hugs him. He’s laughing like a little kid and Harry goes with it, hugging Louis back.

  


“Told you I never give up.” Louis mumbles into Harry’s chest. Harry laughs.

  


“There’s a condition, though.” Louis knits his eyebrows and Harry smiles to reassure him it’s nothing bad.

  


“We’ve got to stop by my room first; I really need a new set of clothes. Ones that don’t smell of alcohol.” Louis beams.

  


“Deal.” 

  


After a moment of silence and intense eye contact between them with smiles on their faces, the two pocket their phones and wallets. Harry wears the sweat pants home even though he’s going to be roasting, he leaves his clothes at Louis’ room and Louis sneaks them into his laundry pile for the maids to clean for him, because he’s rather not wear the alcohol covered clothing he arrived in. He’s sure it looks odd, Louis fresh faced and beaming and Harry looking like he got a good night’s sleep for once (and a good shag too) and in clothing he didn’t arrive to Louis’ room in, but he really doesn’t care.

  


Louis isn’t sure what’s appropriate right now. He really wants to hold Harry’s hand, it’s what he’d do on any other date with any other person, but with Harry he’s not sure how far he’s allowed to go. Can he hold his hand? Can he say they’re on a proper date? Can he- dare he say it- kiss him at the end of it? Would Harry agree to go on a second date with him? The thoughts run through Louis’ mind at warp speed.

  


“Penny for your thoughts?” Harry says calmly beside Louis and Louis smiles at him.

  


“Oh it’s nothing.” He shrugs it off and Harry smiles back at him.

  


“I hope you don’t mind taking the trolley?” Louis smiles at him.

  


“Well actually I have the Boxster here with me...” Louis tells him and Harry’s eyes widen and his jaw drops and he freezes in his tracks.

  


“You have a Porsche Boxster.”

  


“Yes.” Louis answers.

  


“And it’s here?” Harry says breathily. Louis laughs.

  


“I just said that?” Louis grins and Harry’s closes his eyes for a minute, before he’s opening them and giving Louis a smile Louis doesn’t recognize.

  


“Did you just have a car orgy, Hazza?” Louis says with laughter to his voice. Harry licks his lips in thought and then his head nods.

  


“Yes, yes I think I did.” Louis full on laughs now.

  


“And that’s before you even see Sentimental. How’re you going to react when you’re sitting in the driver’s seat?” Harry’s eyes widen and stare at Louis like he’s the last drop of water on earth and he’s dying of thirst (not like he doesn’t look at him like that normally).

  


“Me. Drive.” Harry says softly and Louis laughs, he grabs Harry’s hand and winks.

  


“Follow me.” Louis admits he feels like the Doctor running with a companion as he makes his way to the majestic TARDIS (or in this case Sentimental). Louis laughs and Harry is grinning behind him as they make their way into the underground car park where Louis’ baby is.

  


“Oh god she’s beautiful.” Harry says when they stop running. His eyes never leave the car. They walk up to the silver Boxster and Harry touches her hood and nearly falls to his knees.

  


“Christ if I knew you had a thing for cars I would’ve shown you her so long ago.” Louis jokes and Harry stands up from where he’s lying across the hood. Harry looks like a little kid getting a Christmas present early.

“How am I standing beside a Porsche Boxster right now.” He runs his hands through his curls. He looks manically giddy.

  


“Okay, I get it. You love my car. Now can we get in it or are we just going to admire the paint all day?” Louis teases and Harry grins. Louis doesn’t hesitate to throw Harry the keys. Harry catches them and stares at them like they’re a precious jewel and then back to Louis with wide eyes.

  


“Are you serious?” He asks in the most serious tone Louis’ ever heard and Louis doesn’t answer, simply climbs into the passenger’s seat and waits for Harry to get in the drivers seat.

“Holy shit.” Harry says. He licks his lips and shakes out his shoulders before he’s getting into the car and practically groaning when he sinks into the leather interior.

  


“Oh c’mon and put ‘er into drive already before I change my mind.” Louis teases. He’s never seen Harry move so fast in all the time he’s known him. The car roars to life, a beautiful turn on noise followed by the soft purr of the engine. Harry grips the wheel tightly.

  


“I think maybe you should drive. I might pass out from excitement if I do it.” Louis places a hand on Harry’s shoulder.

  


“Just drive Harry.” Louis says and Harry nods. He begins to pull out of the parking spot and up the ramp of underground parking before they hit daylight again and Harry realizes he’s driving it.

  


“She runs beautifully.” Harry tells him. Louis sits back an watches Harry drive.

  


Harry is concentrated on the roads, not used to driving here. His eyes flitter between mirrors and through the wind shield and Louis swears he can see Harry’s tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth in concentration.

  


“So you’re into cars?” Louis asks and Harry shrugs.

  


“Kind of.” Louis smiles to himself.

  


“You’d be surprised at my collection. I have quite a few babies.” Louis says as he stares out his window.

  


“Of course you have more than one expensive car.” Harry says and Louis can hear the light joking tone in his voice.

  


“Have to show you some time. Let you take a test run.” Louis says and he can see Harry smile as they pull up to the not so extravagant hotel that some employees reside in for summer. Harry and Louis hop out of the Boxster and Zayn comes out of the hotel just then. He lifts his glasses and whistles.

  


“Damn, that’s a nice ride.” He comments and Harry grins.

  


“Yeah, my date let me drive.” Louis tingles all over.

  


“Ooh, y’all are on a date are ya?” Zayn wiggles his eyebrows. Harry scratches the back of his head and laughs.

  


“Well, technically it hasn’t started yet. I declare it starts when I’m not wearing the clothing I slept in.” Harry gives a bright smile and Zayn laughs.

  


“Alright well you have fun then. I’m off to the beach, Pezza signed me up for some volleyball game thing even though I told her I’m rubbish at it. See you later.” Zayn starts walking away and gives a smile and a wave. Louis is watching Harry wave. Harry turns to Louis and smiles.

  


“You want to come up with me? I won’t be more than ten minutes.” Louis laughs.

  


“It takes you ten minutes to get dressed?” Louis teases and Harry gives a mock frown.

  


“I figured we could talk about what we’re doing, mister.” He pouts and Louis gives his shoulder a shove with a smile before he’s running into the hotel with Harry on his trail. Harry is laughing his beautiful belly laugh and for some reason Louis is giggling like a little girl and he really doesn’t care. They don’t wait for the lift; instead they run the stairs and collapse on Harry’s bed when they get into the hotel room.

  


“Okay, go get dressed then.” Louis huffs out and Harry groans.

  


“Ugh. Running hurts. Never again. Promise?” Louis laughs a belly laugh this time.

  


“Promise. Now go get dressed.” He whines and Harry sighs before sitting up and going over to the dresser. He pulls open a few drawers before he takes his pile of clothing into the bathroom and shuts the door. Louis rolls over off his back to his front and spots Harry’s iPad on the night stand. He smiles and takes it onto the bed with him and scrolls through the apps. He settles on Flappy Bird and plays until he’s about to throw the iPad at the bathroom door.

  


“The damn bird keeps dying. I give up.” Louis pouts as Harry exits the bathroom. Harry laughs.

  


“Yeah, I’ve yet to master it. I pretty much read on that mostly.” Louis finally takes in Harry’s outfit. It’s so Harry. He’s paired a pair of ripped and wrinkled jean shorts that reveal a little more thigh than Louis’ used to seeing with a white Rolling Stones tee shirt and he’s got an American flag headscarf pushing back his curls.

  


“You’d think with being British you’d wear our flag…” Louis comments and earns a cheeky smile.

  


“Always wanted to go to the states.” Harry comments as he tugs on his trainers and Louis nearly gets blinded by the highlighter yellow shoes.

  


“Oh god those shoes- really?” Harry frowns.

  


“I like them. What’s wrong with them?” He stands with his hands behind his back and pigeon toed. He looks rather adorable.

  


“The colour looks like you coloured a pair of white trainers with a highlighter. Honestly Haz, you’ve got to have another pair of trainers.” Louis remarks and Harry shakes his head.

  


“My other trainers died on me a week after I got here.” He admits and Louis tuts.

  


“Well we’re buying you a new pair today then.” Louis puts that on a mental check list.

  


“But-” Louis changes the subject quickly.

  


“You’ve never been to the US?” Harry sighs at that.

  


“No, I’d like to go there some day. Never got the chance to yet. Mum’s never really had the money to take us on a trip there, or anywhere really. And now that I’m older we’re more concerned with school than a vacation. I consider this a sort of vacation.” Harry explains. Louis nods as if he understands but he really doesn’t and all he wants to do is purchase plane tickets to the states or to anywhere that Harry could consider it a vacation. He doesn’t tell that to Harry though.

  


“So, what do you have planned for our date then?” Harry asks hesitantly. Louis freezes.

  


“Oh. Um… well since you’ve never said yes before, I’ve never really prepared for what we’d do if you ever did say yes?” Louis admits and Harry laughs loudly.

  


“So we’re going on a date with no plan. Brilliant.” Louis pouts playfully.

  


“Shut up. Where would you like to go?” He asks and Harry smiles.

  


“Paris.” Harry says cheekily and Louis grins and has a dazzling look in his eyes.

  


“I can make that happen, if that’s what you want.” He says as seriously as he can and Harry’s eyes widen.

  


“Christ I was only joking! I can’t even begin to imagine how much that would cost. Probably my whole salary or all the money I’ve ever owned on top of my mums and Gem’s!” Louis falls back on the bed and clutches his stomach in laughter. Harry frowns at him.

  


“Mean.”

  


“I am serious though.” Louis says and Harry sighs.

  


“I know you are. That’s the thing. But I didn’t agree to go on a date with you so you could blow hoards of money like that, I’d be perfectly okay with just going for lunch or something simple. I just… I haven’t been on a date in a while… and-” Harry sighs again and Louis puts his hand over Harry’s.

  


“I get it. I do. Rain check on Paris then?” Louis says with a teasing tone and Harry shoves him playfully.

  


“You’re a dork.”

  


“You love it.” Harry grins.

  


“It’s growing on me.” Harry admits and it makes Louis giddy with the thought of him growing on Harry.

  


“We need to decide what we’re doing before the sun goes down.” Harry says after a moment of silence.

  


“Hm. I would say we could go to Havana but that’d take two hours just to get there…” Louis says in thought.

  


“And I’ve already got dozens upon dozens of key chains from the tourist shops…” Harry adds. Louis sighs.

  


“We’re never going to figure this out.” He says with a frustrated laugh.

  


“Maybe we should just wing it.” Harry says and Louis smiles.

  


“Wing it?” He asks and Harry nods.

  


“Okay. Let’s wing it. I’m hungry, want to go get lunch?” Harry jumps up and he gestures his hand out to Louis.

  


“Come along Pond.” Louis beams.

  


“My kind of man.” He winks and Harry laughs. They’re about to leave when Louis freezes.

  


“Do you really not have any shoes better than that?” He pleads and Harry laughs.

  


“All I have are my work shoes and I’m not allowed to wear those.” Harry says and Louis sighs.

  


“Alright, alright.” He complains but the tone of his voice is fond. When they return to the Boxster, Harry chucks the keys at Louis.

  


“You don’t want to drive?” Louis questions and Harry shakes his head.

  


“I really don’t know where I’m going off resort apart from getting here and going to the little market place with all the touristy ‘shops’.” Louis smiles and nods in understanding.

  


He climbs in the driver’s seat and Harry climbs in the passenger’s side and he waits for Louis to start driving. Harry is surprised when they pull up to a mall after ten minutes of driving around. Louis parks the car and the two of them go into the mall to walk around. Louis is please to find a shoe store. He and Harry trade in their trainers for a pair of sandals each (and after learning Harry’s size from the sandals Louis purchases a really good pair of grey Adidas the replace Harry’s atrocious yellow ones. Harry complains but Louis just ignores it. It surprises Louis when they’re looking in another touristy shop when Harry takes his hand. He thinks Harry is trying to get his attention but then he realizes that Harry isn’t letting go and he’s looking at his own thing with a smile on his face. Louis nearly bursts in happiness.

  


“Ready to eat lunch now?” Louis asks and Harry smiles and his eyes light up.

  


“Yes please.” Harry replies calmly and gives Louis’ hand a squeeze.

  


“I thought we could eat at the really good pizza place here? I always make sure to eat it a few times before I go home.” Harry nods happily and follows Louis to the little pizza shop at the back of the mall. They find a table and order drinks and a couple of slices each.

  


“I meant to ask, where is home for you?” Harry sips his iced tea as he asks. Louis swallows the bite of pizza in his mouth before responding.

  


“London. I suppose we really don’t know much about each other’s personal life, do we?” Louis says and wipes his mouth with a napkin.

  


“Not really. We’ve established basics I guess. This is really good by the way.” Harry says and takes another bite. Louis nearly laughs, Harry has a big glop of pizza sauce at the corner of his mouth that he keeps missing, and Harry can see Louis’ attempted cover of a laugh.

  


“Alright, where’s the sauce? Get it.” He says and hands Louis the napkin and leans forward. Louis laughs but obliges, dabbing at the spot until it’s gone and he and Harry are close. Harry clears his throat and leans back in his chair.

  


“Thanks.” He says swallowing the piece in his mouth. Louis nods. It’s quiet for a moment.

  


“Cheshire.” Harry says after the awkward silence. Louis is confused.

  


“What?” Harry smiles.

  


“I’m from Cheshire. A small village called Holmes Chapel. If you were wondering.” Harry explains.

  


They continue to chat. Louis learns Harry likes cars (even though that was established earlier), he likes to read classics (again, already established), his birthday is the first of February, he worked in a bakery as a teen and he’s earning money to go to college (unless he gets a scholarship but that seems unlikely). Harry learns Louis has a degree in English and Dramatic Arts that he completed at an early age and talks about how if he were to get a proper job he would want to go into publishing, that Louis is a cat person, and his birthday is Christmas eve. Their pizza is gone and they’re simply talking when Harry stands up.

  


“I’m going to the loo, be back in a mo.” He says and makes his way to the back of the restaurant.

  


The day has gone pleasantly well so far. But Louis’ running out of ideas and it’s obvious Harry doesn’t know where to go or what to do because he hardly knows his way around outside of the resort. Time is running short. Louis needs an idea and he needs one fast.

  


The idea strikes him when he’s looking at the tiny dessert menu the restaurant has. The back of his is covered in ads of local tourist things to do (of course it is) he sees an ad for a marina dock not too far from the resort and he swears he pulls a Grinch evil smile when the idea comes to him. When Harry returns Louis is texting furiously on his phone and Harry doesn’t question it, just sits back down and sips his drink.

  


“Hey mister.” Harry says in a light voice and Louis looks up with a smile.

  


“Hey. Did you want to grab dessert here?”

  


“Well I was thinking we could maybe stop by the ice cream stand at the market. The guy there serves the best ice cream.” Harry gushes and Louis smiles.

  


“We didn’t pay?” Harry asks as they’re about to walk out of the little restaurant. Louis gives a wave to the owner as they enter back into the mall.

  


“Already did.” Louis tells him in a sing song voice and Harry frowns.

  


“I could’ve gotten my own, you know.”

  


“But it wouldn’t be a date if you paid.” Harry sighs.

  


“You’re ridiculous.” He says but his smile and his voice are fond.

  


He takes Louis’ hand in his again and Louis tries not to externally squeal like a little girl. The two make their way to Sentimental and Harry drives again this time, taking Louis’ directions to get to the market street. They leave their previous purchases in the car and they begin walking down the street filled with all the shops and stands meant to draw in tourists. Harry finds a keychain he doesn’t have that he swears Gemma will love and Louis buys it despite Harry’s protests. His eye catches something; on closer inspection he sees it’s a simple necklace on a soft black leather chain. The pendant is simple, a tiny little silver compass the size of an American dime. The woman owning the stand hovers over Louis’ shoulder.

  


“For him?” She asks, nodding to Harry who is looking at the scarfs of her shop. Louis smiles and meets her chocolate brown eyes and nods.

  


“He’ll love it. You two… very cute together.” She says in an accent and Louis can’t help but feel good.

  


“Thank you.” He says. He doesn’t have the heart to tell her they’re not officially together. She takes the necklace off the rack it was on and places it in a gift box. Louis puts it in a bag and pays the woman her money. She thanks him and says to have a good day and he knows he will. He continues to shop in some of the stands further down and ends up with two more bags of things. When he and Harry are finished he’s bought two new headscarves for Harry and they got ice cream from the stand Harry mentioned and as they’re walking hand in hand down the street towards the Boxster, Harry nudges Louis.

  


“This has been fun.” He says with a smile and Louis beams back.

  


“Told you I’m not boring.” Louis teases and Harry blushes and continues to eat his ice cream. They don’t realize how long they’ve been at the market until they get in Sentimental and see the dash clock reads nearing six.

  


“Holy shit. Has it really been that long? Felt like maybe an hour.” Harry admits.

  


“Well we did eat lunch late.” Louis says in explanation. He pulls out of the parking lot and begins driving. Harry seems confused when they pass his hotel.

  


“Um Lou?” He says and Louis raises his eyebrows.

  


“You didn’t think the date was over did you?” Harry blushes.

  


“I suppose not?” He says and Louis takes his hand in his.

  


“Where’re we going?” Louis smiles broadly.

  


“Surprise.” When they pull up to where they’re going, Harry is confused. They’re in a large parking lot and he can see the water before them, and he doesn’t clue in until he turns his head to the right.

  


“We’re at the docks?” He asks and Louis just continues smiling because he’s not catching on. Louis fiddles in the back seat with the bags for a moment before he takes Harry’s hand and begins to lead him toward the dock.

  


“Lou?”

  


“You’ll see Hazza.” They’re quiet until they’re walking down the wooden docks. They’re passing boats and yachts of all sizes, and only then Harry understands.

  


“Are we… are we going on a boat?” Louis gives him a look and Harry squeezes his hand.

  


“Louis.” He says and Louis can’t read the tone of his voice but Harry falls silent when a man standing near the end of the dock waves them down. They walk down the dock to him.

  


“Mister Louis?” Louis holds his hand up with a smile.

  


“I am Karim; I will be your captain tonight.” He says with a nice smile. He’s older, mid-forties, tall with a Van Dyke beard. Dark hair and tanned skin and soft kind eyes. He’s dressed in jeans and a tee shirt with a plaid tee shirt button up over it.

  


“Perfect. Thanks again for responding so quickly earlier.” Louis says and Karim smiles.

  


“My pleasure, sir.” Louis turns to the right and grins. Harry is wide eyed and staring. The yacht is smaller than most that are in the docks bay but it’s still huge to Harry. The ramp to get on the boat is down and ready for them to board. Louis begins to walk up the ramp and looks back to Harry. Harry swallows.

  


“This is crazy.” Harry breathes out as he follows Louis onto the yacht. The main deck is big, seating all around the inside walls of the deck. Harry can see a door that he doesn’t want to assume, but thinks is a door leading to the inside cabin of the yacht. There’s stairs that lead up to a small room which can safely be assumed the captains pit where the driving happens. Louis sees Karim lift the ramp back into place and shut the door to secure the deck’s edging, and then gives a wave before going up the stairs into the pit. Harry is in awe.

  


“You really didn’t have to do this.” Harry says as he takes in all of the boat. The engine kicks to life and Harry jumps, nearly toppling into Louis. Louis settles an arm on Harry’s side and the two go and sit down on the bench at the back wall of the yacht.

  


“I know, but I wanted to surprise you.”

  


“You’ve certainly done a great job.” Harry says and Louis smiles.

  


“Good.” The two are quiet as the yacht moves away from the dock and out into the open water. Fifteen minutes of ‘driving’ and the boat comes to a stop. There’s no civilization in sight, just clear, clear water and the setting sun on the horizon. Louis smiles at Harry and stands him up.

  


“Did you bring me out here to murder me? Coax me into false security and pay off Karim to not spill the beans?” Harry asks when he’s facing Louis and Louis’ face goes black before he’s laughing his ass off.

  


“Oh god. You’ve caught me. Now I’ll just have to pretend like that wasn’t the plan and kiss you to make you forget.” Harry’s cheeks bloom red. Louis isn’t sure why he said that.

  


“I don’t know why I said that.” Louis admits softly but Harry squeezes his hand. It’s reassuring in some way Louis can’t describe. Louis stares at Harry for a moment before he snaps out of it and he lets go of Harry’s hand. He turns to where he put the plastic bag and turns to Harry with a smile.

  


“Want to go for a swim?” Louis asks and Harry looks at the water, and then back at Louis.

  


“Are we allowed? And we don’t have swim trunks? Would we go in our boxers-” Louis holds up two balls of fabric that Harry can safely assume is swim trunks. Louis throws the bright yellow pair at Harry with a sly grin.

  


“You like bright colours.” He teases and Harry laughs but he nods.

  


“There’s a bedroom inside the cabin, you can change in there if you’d like. I’ll change in the washroom.” 

  


Louis opens the door to the inner cabin and veers left to the small rest room. He hears Harry pass the door seconds after and goes up the two little steps to the bedroom. Louis didn’t know if they would stay on the boat all night, or use the bedroom (he doubted the latter) but he wanted to be safe. He pulls on the white and blue swim trunks that are a little shorter than he likes but he’s not complaining considering and goes out on the deck to wait for Harry.

  


Harry steps out a minute later, and Louis nearly drops to his knees (which would be odd considering he’s sitting again). Harry wears the short swim shorts with confidence, not once complaining on Louis’ choice of trunks. Louis assumed that Harry wouldn’t care but he was so glad he chose these now. The bright yellow shorts shows off three things; Harry’s thighs, Harry’s tan, and Harry’s legs. But Louis is so focused on his thighs. They’re effortlessly toned and tanned and his legs are long and Louis wants to climb him like a tree but that wouldn’t be appropriate and besides, he doesn’t want to push his limits.

  


“Thank you, for buying these.” Harry says with a blush as he notices Louis’ staring and Louis picks his jaw off the floor again for the second time today and nods.

  


“You’re welcome. I got us towels too.” Louis holds up the towels. He sets them on the bench and then makes his way up the stairs. Karim comes down and waves at Harry before he sets to work putting out the mini deck so they can go swimming and get back on the boat. It takes ten minutes to get the deck secure, and when Karim’s done he gives a smile and Louis thanks him and he goes back up into his pit.

  


“Shall we?” Louis gestures and Harry nods, excited. The water is so crystal clear it looks shallow but is extremely deep, and Louis isn’t hesitant at all but Harry seems iffy. Louis takes Harry’s hand and watches him dip his toes in the cool but not cold water.

  


“You jump, I jump?” Louis says with a shit eating grin and Harry gives him a look.

  


“Did you really just pull a Titanic line over on me?” Louis laughs.

  


“If you’re a bird, I’m a bird.” He says before he’s jumping, Harry right behind him. They crash into the water, come up laughing and spluttering and begin to tread water.

  


“You’re a cheese head.” Harry says and Louis laughs. Harry grins and presses down on Louis’ head, Louis goes under the water splashing and disappears from sight. Harry is confused. He waits for Louis to resurface but after a minute he doesn’t and Harry panics.

  


“Louis?” Louis?” He looks around but cannot see him, spins and spins and swims around as best he can but Louis is nowhere and Harry begins to look down into the clear water for a sign.

  


“Boo.”

  


“Holy shit!” Harry spins around to face a cheeky Louis, his heart pounding. Louis laughs but Harry feels like crying.

  


“Oh my god, you fucker! You scared the shit out of me.” He clutches his heart with one hand. Louis stops laughing.

  


“I’m sorry.” He says and Harry pouts. Louis swims closer to Harry, and Harry swims backwards. Louis watches Harry a moment and laughs when he realizes what Harry doesn’t.

  


“What? Why’re you laughing? Is there a fish in my hair?” Harry’s hands fly up to his hair and his face changes.

  


“Shit my scarf!” He whines at the water logged scarf. He takes it off and throws it up onto the actual deck of the boat, satisfied when it makes a wet _thwack_ on the deck. He gasps for a breathe before dipping under the water and coming back up a moment later with hair in his face, his curls straightened completely and strewn like a crazy.

  


“You look like a baby Tarzan.” Louis notes and Harry frowns. He goes under again and when he comes up out of the water he brushes it out of his face, and it looks slicked back.

  


“Cute.” Louis says.

  


The two swim and laugh and joke and Louis throws in movie puns and claims they ‘have to do the Titanic flying scene’ when they’re on their way back. Harry just rolled his eyes fondly but he’s sure they’ll end up going through with it. They swim for the better part of almost two hours; Louis is resting at the back of the boat while Harry swims laps around the entire yacht. He manages to do two complete laps before giving up. He swims over to Louis and catches Louis off guard when he hovers right in front of him. Louis’ eyes widen. They’re extremely close. Harry is breathing heavy from swimming. He puts his hands on opposite sides of Louis’ head and Louis makes a small noise he hopes Harry doesn’t hear.

  


“Hi.” Louis says quietly. Harry smiles.

  


“Hi.” He says back. Louis is frozen and is surprised when Harry makes the move to lean in. Their lips are about to meet, it’s about to happen when their noses bump slightly and their foreheads clash. Harry groans and rubs his head but they both laugh.

  


“Ow.” Louis says playfully.

  


“Sorry.” Harry blushes.

  


“Mister Louis? Food is ready?” Karim calls and Louis smiles as he rubs his forehead.

  


“Okay, we’re coming!” He hollers back and nods to Harry to start swimming. Harry nods back and begins to swim to the dock.

  


He’s not sure what possessed him to try and kiss Louis. He’s not sure if it’s the right time, or if it’s too fast to kiss him. He doesn’t know where they stand. He realizes it’s probably all his decision too, Louis’ willing to take what he can get and cherish it. Harry just knows that what he was about to do felt right, at the time. When they get back on the actual deck, Louis throws the blue and green designed towel at him playfully and he catches it, begins towelling his back off and shaking it through his hair before he sits on the bench. Louis dries off with the second blue and pink towel, and Karim carries down two plates of food and hands each boy a plate.

  


“Enjoy.” Karim says before ascending again. They’re presented with fish and chips with slaw and it smells other worldly good.

  


“Perks of this yacht? Karim is a cook.”

  


“There’s a kitchen on the boat?” Harry says as he eats a crunchy chip.

  


“Mmm. Up behind the room where he drives the boat. Oh god, this is good.” Louis says as he cuts into the fish.

  


It’s cooked and seasoned perfectly and they devour it completely. Once done Louis stretches out on the one bench on his back with a sigh and stares up. The sun is almost set so the sky is fading from bright oranges and pinks and purples to purples and blues and darker blues. Little stars start to shine and Harry lies on the bench kiddie corner to Louis, his head right next to Louis’ and his hand takes grasp of the other boys. Louis smiles though Harry can’t see it.

  


“Louis?” Harry says quietly and Louis’ eyes trail over to him. Harry continues to look up.

  


“Yes?” Louis returns. Harry takes a deep breathe.

  


“I’m sorry… about things I’ve said and done, the way I made you feel, it wasn’t right. I am trying to fix that… I’m going to try and uncomplicate things, because I really do like you. I don’t think I wanted to at first, but that’s for personal reasons and I’m sorry I let those reflect on you. I should’ve gotten to know you first instead of just trying to shut you out. I’m glad… I’m glad you’re persistent and never give up on something… I just wanted you to know that.” Harry finally finishes and Louis swallows the lump in his throat.

  


 “Oh. Um… Thank you?” Louis says and Harry sits up, pulls Louis up to face him and gives him a smile.

  


“You’re really something, you know.” Louis blushes.

  


“Something good, I hope.”

  


“Something good, happening in Oz!” Harry sings and Louis literally chokes on nothing and lets out a cackle of laughter.

  


“Well that was a lovely try at singing Wicked, Haz; but you’ve clashed two of the songs.” Harry gives Louis’ shoulder a shove before he rests his head on that same shoulder. Louis rests his head on Harry’s.

  


“I tried and therefore no one should criticize me.” Harry says joking again and Louis gives a huff of a laugh. They stay like this for a while before Louis looks at him with a smile.

  


“Want to take another swim? Karim’ll turn the lights on under the boat.” Louis says and Harry grins.

  


“Never been night swimming before.” Harry says and Louis laughs.

  


“Should try night time skinny dipping some time.” He teases and runs upstairs to ask Karim about the lights. Harry blushes at Louis’ comment and can’t help but chuckle to himself. Louis returns and doesn’t even wait for Harry before he’s jumping into the clear water and Harry runs to follow with a laugh.

  


They swim for another two hours until Harry realizes how dark it is. He can see little fish swimming in the deeper waters and his hair is baby Tarzan again and Louis’ skin is glowing in the light and their having a blast. But then Harry realizes only then what time it is.

  


“Oh god. I’ve got to work tomorrow. I didn’t even think.” Harry says and cards a hand through his curls. Louis smiles.

  


“I kinda texted Niall and told him to tell your boss you’re not working tomorrow?” Harry frowns.

  


“But that means I won’t get paid for the shift I miss.” Louis shakes his head.

  


“Covered that too. The amount of what you would’ve earns has already been deposited into your employee bank account.” Louis says and Harry’s frown deepens.

  


“Are you- why would you- that’s your- I feel like a prostitute. Or an escort. Or both. Are they the same thing?” Harry thinks to himself and Louis laughs.

  


“I just wanted to have a good night and not have to rush back because you had to work. Just think of it as a paid vacation day?” Louis tells him and Harry sighs.

  


They swim for another hour and make faces at each other under the water. When they get out of the water and back onto the boat the two towel off and Louis stretches out on the one bench with a contented sigh. His hand runs through his wet hair, and he’s surprised when Harry doesn’t lie down on the opposite bench, but instead lies down on the same bench _with_ him. Harry curls up on his side and rests his head on Louis’ shoulder and Louis wraps an arm around Harry’s shoulder. Harry hums in contentment.

  


“Don’t get used to this mister, I’ve a strict rarely cuddle policy. Only on dates.” Louis smiles.

  


“So you’ll date me more often then?” Louis asks and he can feel Harry’s cheeks move into a smile against his skin.

  


“I don’t think I would object so much to a second date, if that’s what you’re asking. But not so extravagant, maybe? Not every time has to wow my pants off. By the way, that’s not happening.” Harry teases and Louis lets out a laugh.

  


“Damn, and I thought you were the total type to put out on the first date.” Louis snaps his fingers and he feels Harry’s laugh. This is nice.

  


“Excuse you, I am virginal and pure.” Louis doesn’t mean to but he’s laughing so hard at their banter that he gives a small snort.

  


“Cute.” Harry mumbles against his skin and Louis shivers.

  


He doesn’t know how long they lay there like that, doesn’t remember falling asleep like that, but he does know the sun is about to come up when he stirs. He hums and kisses Harry’s forehead without even realizing, he can feel Harry’s eyelashes fluttering against his side.

  


“We fell asleep?” Harry questioned.

  


“Yeah. Sun’s about to rise, want to watch with me?” Louis mumbles blearily and Harry hums in reply. Louis sits in the corner of the two benches and Harry curls up in his side and they watch the sun rise from the horizon, the blues fading to orange and a bright yellow with tinges of pink lining. It’s beautiful and warm and Harry nuzzles into Louis’ neck and presses a kiss there and it makes Louis feel like jello in the knees. Karim stands at the top of the stairs, rubbing his eyes.

  


“Mister Louis, are you ready to return?” He asks and Louis gives him a thumbs up in reply. Karim nods and returns to the drivers pit and the boat roars to life a few moments later. Harry holds Louis tightly as they zoom the fifteen minutes back to the docks. The boys manage to pull their tee shirts on and carry the rest of their belongings with them as they exit the boat, thank Karim a bunch of times before they make their way hand in hand to Sentimental.

“Man, I’m gunna crash when I get back.” Harry puts his head back on his seat and Louis squeezes the hand he holds (Harry doesn’t let go).

  


“Me too.” Louis says. Louis passes the resort and they arrive at the hotel where Harry resides, and both he and Louis get out of the car. Harry gives Louis a curious look.

  


“It’s a date still, I’ve got to be a proper gentleman and see to you getting safely to your door.” Louis says and holds his arm out for a laughing Harry to take.

  


“And what if the murderer is already in my room?” Harry questions in the lift and Louis raises an eyebrow.

  


“Would you prefer I search the room too?” Harry laughs this time.

  


“I’m teasing.” He says and rests a head on Louis’ shoulder until they reach the third floor where Harry’s room is. Harry and Louis stop at the door and the silence is deafening. Harry turns to Louis and smiles.

  


“Thank you for a wonderful date.” Harry tells Louis and Louis beams.

  


“You’re welcome.” Louis replies. The silence is there again.

  


“I meant what I said… earlier… about working on it? I really am going to. I like you. I like this.” Harry gestures to their hands.

  


“I like this too.” Louis agrees. Harry squeezes his hand and presses their forehead together in a show of affection that surprises Louis. They’re so close but Louis doesn’t dare move, simply marvels at Harry. Harry smiles and pulls away a bit, meeting Louis’ eyes.

  


“Thank you, again.” Harry says and before he can stop himself he leans in and presses a kiss to the corner of Louis’ mouth, definitely not missing the way Louis stands stock still or the way he gives a little gasp and is practically giddy when Harry pulls away. Harry opens his door and it’s about to shut when he hears it.

  


“Harry?” Louis says from the hallway, he’s turns slightly to look back at the door. Harry looks out through the slight jar of the door. Louis smiles fondly at him.

  


“I’m glad you were stupid enough to say yes.” He says. Harry smiles just as fondly back; he gives a small nod but Louis’ turned and begins to walk away. Harry closes the door and lets out a whoosh of air. His back his pressed against the door and he’s grinning like an idiot. And to a silent room his voice is the only thing that’s heard.

  


“Me too, Louis. Me too.”

  


*

  


A the day after their date, Harry is back to work and that means Louis is back to doing what he always does. He stalks Harry by the pool, but it’s much more fun now that Harry is actually flirting back intentionally and god does Louis ever want to kiss him.  He goes surfing with Liam, and has lunch with Aidee to tell her of his happy news. A few days later, he turns up at Niall's bar like he always does, and this time he’s in a wet suit and slicked back hair. He’s gone surfing again, and when he hugs Harry from behind, soaking his shirt through, Harry can smell the salt water on his skin. Can feel the heat of his body and the cold water coating his back. It makes him shiver and smile when he turns around to glare at Louis playfully.

  


“Hey, mister. I am working here.”

  


“And you look right fit doing it. I figured I’d come cool you off.” Louis bites his lip to keep from grinning.

  


“How kind of you. You need help unzipping again?” Louis nods and turns, and Harry unzips him carefully. His hands trail down Louis’ spin, leaving goosebumps in it’s wake. Louis makes a soft noise that raises Harry’s eyebrows and makes Niall cough and Louis pulls away where Harry’s warm hands once were and turns around to grin at him with blushed cheeks.

  


"When do I get to give you a surfing lesson?" Louis asks and Harry shrugs. He places a set of drinks on his tray and turns around, ready to take them to their owners.

  


“I've got a full weekend off this weekend, including Friday because I switched an extra shift with Zayn…” Harry tells him and Louis beams.

  


“Perfect. Does this mean you’re free game to steal the entire weekend?”

  


“I would assume so.” Harry tells him with a smile, trying to hide his excitement. Who would’ve thought that one date would make him this happy? Why did he ever try to deny himself this?

  


“Good I wanted to go-“

  


“If you so much as say anything remotely expensive, I will cancel on you.” Louis pouts.

  


“But see, it’s not exactly what you think. There’s a charity event in Paris that I kind of RSVP’d to while drunk a few days ago, and I can’t back out now because I normally go to these things anyways… and I could totally use a date to it-“ Harry freezes. He sets the drinks ordered on their table and carries his empty tray back to Niall, picking up empty glasses as he goes. Louis follows, not even caring that his bare back showing from his unzipped wet suit, waiting for Harry to respond.

  


“I am not going to be some sort of arm candy, Louis.” Louis shook his head.

  


“You don’t have to be. But it is sort of black tie formal…” Harry glares at him.

  


“You’re not buying me a suit!”

  


“Does that mean you’ll attend with me?” Harry scoffs, collects Niall’s next batch of drinks and he glares down at them on his tray.

  


“I don’t want to be some sugar baby.” He says simply. Louis nearly gags.

  


“I will never be your sugar daddy, H. That doesn’t tickle my fancy. Although I don’t mind a bit of… _playing…_ ” Harry knits his eyebrows like he’s confused and Louis shakes his head. Another conversation for another time.

  


“Listen. I am more than capable of spending my money wisely, Harry. I am also fully capable of spending it on things, on _people_ that I want to spend it on. Regardless of price. So if I decide that I like a shirt that will match your eyes, I will buy it for you. Money isn’t the issue for me. I only buy things for the people I care about and want to spend my money on. Who I wish to _spend my time with._ So please Harry, let me spoil you a bit without any arguing because it’s what I want to do and how I know I am doing what I can to make sure you’re comfortable.”

  


“But I’m _not comfortable_ with you buying me everything.” Harry says simply and thanks someone for their tip.

  


“But that’s the thing, I won’t buy you everything. Just the things I know you deserve and wish for even if they seem far fetched.” Harry rolls his eyes but Louis detects a touch of fondness to them.

  


“I am _working,_ Lou. You’re being very distracting.” Louis beams. He sort of feels like he’s won this battle for now.

  


“Does that mean you’ll attend with me?” Harry pauses from where he’s cleaning a table. He sighs and brushes his hair off his face and then bites his lip.

  


“How long should I pack for?”

  


*

  


  


“You’re not that horrible.” Louis says as he scoops Harry out of the water and pushes back his hair. Harry’s got water on his eyelashes, and trickling down his cheeks from his hair. He’s got this wet suit they’re borrowing from Liam on and it fits in every place but one. Damn his long torso.

  


“I feel like I have an eternal wedgie." Harry says and looks up at Louis with wide eyes.

  


"You get used to it after a while." Louis tells him and Harry rolls his eyes.

  


"Or you just go commando like you?" Louis beams at him.

  


"That too." Louis scoops up his board and Harry finds his and they paddle out a bit and sit and search for waves. Louis figures this early afternoon surfing lesson on Thursday would be the perfect thing to keep them busy. He did promise to teach Harry, and Harry looks great in a wet suit, so everyone wins.

  


"Does the time change and time difference and just... Time mess you up too?" Harry asks from where hes straddling Liam's surfboard. Louis shrugs.

  


"You get used to that too after a while."

  


"But I mean… How do we really know what time it is that we’ll be landing in Paris?” Louis rolls his eyes and sighs.

  


“Really? You’re going to make me do math?” Harry laughs softly.

  


“But seriously. I know that Cuba is 5 hours behind the UK, and UK and Paris have the same time right?” Louis nods.

  


“So we’re leaving here at 5pm on Thursday, and it’s basically a ten hour flight. So when it’s 3 am here, we’ll be in Paris, and it will be 8 am there. Doesn’t that trip you out? We’re moving forward in time!” Louis rolls his eyes. Harry is ridiculous. He says as much too.

  


“Only you would do math like that. Come on, I hear a gelato calling my name before we collect our stuff and get ready to go to the airport.” Louis turns and paddles in with Harry right behind him. When they hit the beach Harry is adjusting the super tight, glued to his skin wet suit and Louis is trying not to climb him like a tree. They haven’t even kissed yet for Pete’s sake. Whoever Pete is. Louis never understood that expression well.

  


They eat their gelato, have showers (separately) and collect their suitcases and backpacks so they can climb into a taxi to head to Havana’s airport where Louis’ private jet is waiting. Harry cuddles up to Louis in the cab and presses his surprisingly cold nose to the skin of Louis’ neck. Louis still smells of salt water and mint and very _Louis._ It relaxes Harry, who isn’t exactly fond of planes and isn’t sure how he’ll do on a private flight.

  


“Ready to sleep the night away?” Louis asks and Harry hums and kisses the tender spot behind Louis’ ear.

  


“You’re very… cuddly.” Louis says softly and Harry hums again.

  


“Trying to distract myself.” He tells Louis and kisses again before tangling his hand in Louis’ and staring out the window at the beautiful scenery of Havana. Old buildings of every colour and markets in the street make Harry happy.

  


“You’re not a frequent flyer, I assume?”

  


“Hardly.” Harry snorts. Louis smiles.

  


“Well I suppose we could always find something to distract us during take off. I’m not fond of it myself, if I’m honest. And I am a frequent flyer.” Louis gives Harry’s hand a squeeze.

  


“We can play Scrabble, or something.” Louis rolls his eyes.

  


“Or I’ll kick your ass in Monopoly.” Harry glares at him.

  


“We don’t discuss that game. I hate it. I never win. Gemma cheats.”

  


“Alright, Curly, we’ll play Scrabble. We’ll see how eloquently of a speller you are.” Harry beams and Louis can’t help but feel the gut feeling of how fucking gone he his for this boy. There’s no going back now. He’s all in.

  


*

  


After their initial take off, they play travel size Scrabble and Harry beats Louis after playing some ridiculous words like ‘Zax’ and ‘Qua’ and the heavy hitter that threw Louis under the bus; ‘jousted’. It earns him 23 points for the word alone. Then his bonuses come in. For using all his letters Harry receives an additional fifty points, and to top it all off his ‘j’ tile lands on a double letter square which brings his grand total to 106 for one word. That’s when Louis gives up trying, upends the board and tackles Harry on the couch tickling him breathless before snuggling into him. It’s a long flight, and maybe sleep would be a good idea.

  


“Want to head into bed?” Louis asks sleepily from Harry’s shoulder. Harry’s breathing heavily and sighs. He hums as if he agrees. Louis signals the all clear sign to the flight attendant and the two go into the bedroom. They don't bother changing from their comfy clothes, instead curling into each other and sleeping well into the better part of their flight.

  


“No… No… Please, no.” Louis grimaces in his sleep. Harry startles awake, blinking away the sleep from his eyes. Louis’ fists are clutching him like a vice, and his legs are kicking his at the shins. Harry gently shakes Louis, but he only gets louder. “Get off me! Off! Please!”

  


“Lou, babe. It’s okay… Sh, it’s me. Louis?” Louis gasps and his eyes snap open and his heart is racing and where the fuck is he?

  


“H?” Louis collapses into his arms and Harry just holds him. He doesn’t say anything, doesn’t question Louis’ nightmare. He already knows why.

  


“Okay?” Harry asks from where his face is pressed into Louis’ hair. Louis releases a soft breath and nods.

  


“Yeah. ‘m good now. Thank you.” He says quietly. Harry just holds him a little while longer because he can. They’ve got no where to go this high up in the sky. Louis doesn’t seem to mind either.

  


“Does it happen often?” Harry says softly. Louis tenses just for an instant and Harry thinks he may’ve crossed a line there, but Louis just burrows closer.

  


“Every couple nights. This is the first in a week though.”

  


“Do you think it’s because I’m in the bed with you?” Louis shakes his head vehemently.

  


“It happens a lot more when you’re not here. It’s nice to wake up to you instead of an empty bed covered in sweat and crying because it didn’t stop.” He says meekly. Harry chokes on air.

  


“I’d never let it happen.” Louis nods, he believes him. He picks at his finger nails and glances up at Harry.

  


“H, I know… This is off topic… But I thought I’d warn you… It’s a charity auction and dinner and… and there’s going to be paparazzi, I can’t stop them from being there… They’re going to blow up when they see me with you and I know how you feel towards them and-“

  


“Hey… hey… sh…” He calms Louis before the storm hits. “I know what I signed up for when I agreed to get on this plane. I’m working on it, remember? It’d happen eventually anyways. I plan on having as many dates with you as possible. They’d see me eventually. I’m willing to take my chances.” Louis just smiles at him, grateful that he understands and a little overwhelmed by how much he wants Harry to just talk to him. His voice is calming. He tells him that much. Harry sinks into the pillow again, grinning at the ceiling like he’s thought something funny.

  


“We’re actually going on a date. In Paris. I can’t fucking believe it.”

  


“Tommo never takes no for an answer.” Louis says back and Harry giggles. Full on giggle. And it’s so fucking cute that Louis has to hide his face in Harry’s neck to keep from giggling himself.

  


“Just you wait until we go shopping. There are so many places I want to take you. Burberry, Saint Laurent- oh the fashion capital of the world will do wonders to you. You’ll love it.”

  


Harry bites his lip like he wants to retort and argue, but he just sighs contently.

  


“As long as you’re there with me, I will.” He whispers and smiles at Louis with such a fondness that Louis never would’ve imagined a week ago would be possible to see. But now he’s seeing it, and he loves it, and it’s very scary and overwhelming and he’s soaking in every little bit of it like he can’t enough. He’ll never have enough. He’s thoroughly and truly fucked. And he really doesn’t mind.

  


*

  


Harry really does love Paris. He and Louis go to lunch at an extravagant restaurant because Louis claims the food is amazing. It is, and Harry only protests meekly when Louis foots all the bills. They go shopping next, hitting big name stores like Saint Laurent and BurBerry and Topman. And though Harry nearly passes out when he sees the price, begging Louis to return half the clothes he’s thrown at Harry; shirts he saw Harry staring at and head scarves of multiple colours fabrics and lengths, Louis just passes over a card and the clothes are bought before he can even say another word.

  


It’s in BurBerry where they decide to get their suits for the event. Louis is sifting through colours, wondering whether or not he wants grey, blue, or black when someone clears his throat from behind him, making him pause. He told Harry to go find something he liked, and that he’d find him when he found something for himself. He told Harry to disregard the costs, and just to go with his gut, pick his size and try it on. 

  


“Lou, I…” Louis turns around. He drops the expensive suit jacket he’s holding. His jaw drops with it. He can’t breathe. He can’t move. He’s staring at Harry and all he wants is to fuck him. And kiss him. Not necessarily in that order.

  


Harry is standing tall and straight and biting his lip with nervousness. He’s wearing black, tight and long legs in tailored pants that cling in the right way. and make him endlessly taller than ever. His jacket matches his pants, with velvet lapels and only one button done up. His shirt is white underneath with a small triangular pattern that almost looked polka dotted. He’s got perfectly shined shoes on and a small white flower pinned to his lapel. He looks gorgeous.

  


“H. You look great. God. Maybe you shouldn’t wear that.” Harry deflates.

  


“Is it clashing? I thought-“

  


“No. I mean I’m not going to want to keep my hands off you. You look so bloody fit I feel like I might commit a crime in BurBerry. God.” Louis covers his eyes but he can practically hear Harry grinning.

  


“Stop grinning you git. You look lovely, now go take it off before I attack you in the dressing room.”

  


Harry laughs at him and steps forward. Louis can smell him, can smell his cologne, heady and intoxicating. Can smell the mint of his breath because he’s been chewing gum. Can smell the apple in his hair from his shower. He’s picking up all these things and he has to look at him because he’s simply divine and because he can. He pulls his hands away and smiles up at him. Harry looks like he’s meant for fashion magazines.

  


“You should think about getting into modelling.” Louis words his thoughts and Harry rolls his eyes.

  


“Me walk down a runway? Please. Also, I think you should go with black. With a lighter white shirt than mine. We’ll match.” Harry teases and turns to go back to the dressing room.

  


“I’m in room E, if you need me.” Harry says airily while walking away and Louis has to press his back against the wall to keep from falling over. Who knew a guy could make him react this way. He wants him in every way imaginable.

  


“Well he’s right cute. Boyfriend, I assume?” Louis looks to the right, a tall woman with long flowing brown hair grins at him. He shrugs. Is he his boyfriend?

  


“He is right though.” Louis quirks an eyebrow. “About your suit.”

  


“Oh. Of course.” Louis says.

  


Louis meets Harry at the cash, and he smiles at him with a look of fondness as he pays. Harry glances away from the price, knowing that at least half of the outstanding five digit total is his. He frowns at his shoes. Louis gives his hand a squeeze. They collect their bags and leave the store, and Harry is quiet as they walk.

  


“H. Stop. Tell me what’s wrong. Please.” Louis stops them in the middle of the crowded street, and Harry looks at him with a look like he’s wounded a baby deer or something just as horrible.

  


“I told you, I’m not good with letting others buy for me… especially… extravagant things. Like I feel ill knowing that cost almost a years worth of rent. And it’s an outfit I will seldom wear again. How do you do it? How do you just… buy things and not think of the price it costs and what other more important things it could buy?” Louis just presses his lips together.

  


“It’s all I’ve ever known, H. It’s not something I think about, really. I just do, because it’s what I’ve always done. But you, you make me see things I’d never thought to bring into play.” Louis squeezes his hand.

  


“I know you’re not stupid with your money, Louis. For the most part.” He gives him a shove, teasing. “I know you must attend a lot of these charity events, and that’s great. But it’s a lot to take in for someone who’s never known what it’s like to have more than four digits in his bank account at a time… You know? I don’t mean it to be rude-“

  


“I get it Harry. I do. You’re not offending me in any way. I promise.” Louis explains to him and Harry nods. “Just give me a chance to catch up, yeah?” Louis nods. They don’t do much shopping after that. They walk around and look at street vendors with much smaller prices and Harry seems content, happier. Louis carries the clothing bags in one hand and holds Harry’s in the other. The air clears and they’re back to their natural state of flirting and bantering and bickering.

  


“Football is a great sport, how very dare you!” Louis shouts and Harry grins down at him.

  


“I didn’t say it was a bad sport, I said I’m shit at it so I don’t watch it much.”

  


“That’s basically saying you hate it.” Louis defends. Harry rolls his eyes.

  


“I like golf.” Louis gags.

  


“It’s an old man’s sport, Harold.” Harry laughs and shakes his head, brushing his fingers through his hair and squeezing Louis’ hand.

  


“Well, I used to wrestle in high school.” Harry tells him as if it makes it better, and Louis still scoffs.

  


“You in tights, now that I have to see. How horrible were you at that?” Louis teases, before he squawks and he’s on his back, pinned to the grass by Harry. Harry invades his space, pins him with his full body and he’s beaming down at Louis.

  


“I was pretty good, for your information.” Louis gasps and grins back up at him.

  


“Well I hate to steal your thunder hot shot…” Louis flips them, pinning Harry by the wrists and pressing his entire body against Harry’s. Harry whines, shifts his body under him but he’s smiling. His eyes close as he pushes up against Louis to struggle, but Louis’ got the upper hand. He cant stop smiling and when his eyes open, Louis’ eyeing him curiously. Harry bites his lip.

  


“Something wrong, hot shot?” Harry snorts to keep from giggling.

  


“No sir, not at all. But I believe your knee is in my spleen.” Louis presses his face into the crook of Harry’s neck.

  


“How do you make me want you so much? God, I want so much with you, Harry.” Louis breathes this into Harry’s ear and Harry stiffens, gasps.

  


“Then why haven’t you kissed me?” Louis pulls away and Harry bites his lips, eyes so wide and green.

  


“What?”

  


“Kiss me. Why haven’t you kissed me?”

  


“I didn’t want to push it. Fuck. I can- do you want me to kiss you?”

  


“Oh my god. More than anything you idiot.” Harry is blinking up at him with a fond stupid grin on his face and he wraps his now released arms around Louis’ neck and pulls him in before he can say anything else stupid.

  


It shouldn’t surprise him that kissing Harry is everything he ever imagined and more. It’s like breathing. It’s effortless. It’s something that should happen all the time. Everyday. For the rest of his life. Because kissing Harry is simple, it’s sweet, and it’s gentle and his lips are soft and his eagerness is cute and it’s everything he wants and more. His lips trail across Harry’s lips and they only pull away when someone shouts at them in french. Harry giggles and pulls away, looking up at Louis like he’s the last person on Earth.

  


“Fuck.” Louis says when he pulls back and rests his forehead against Harry’s.

  


“Finally.” Harry teases and shoves Louis off of him. Harry tugs him up and the two brush off the grass.

  


“Take me back to your hotel room.” Harry says simply and Louis freezes.

  


“Really? Now?”

  


“What better time than the present?” Louis rolls his eyes and takes Harry’s hand in his.

  


“It’s a gift, that’s for sure. Now let’s go before we get arrested for public indecency.”

  


“Let’s go, then.”

  


*

  


Louis has Harry pinned in the corner of the lift of their hotel room. Screw the cameras, he doesn’t care right now. All he wants is to kiss Harry. Now that he can, he’s going to want to do it as much possible. Harry is pliant and happy, content even though the railing is digging into his rib and Louis is sort of standing on his foot. But it’s wonderful, kissing Louis. He could do it all the time. He wants to, and now he can. He doesn’t doubt they’ll annoy Niall after five minutes of being around him. The door dings open, Louis pulls away and takes Harry’s hand and dismisses the disgusted look of two elderly women with a grin and a wink.

  


But it’s he who is pinned to the hotel room door as soon as it’s opened and closed behind them, and it’s he who is having a love bite sucked so hard into his collarbone he wails and his knees wobble. Harry fucking giggles in his ear, kisses the soft skin behind his earlobe, and then nips. Louis bucks forward, gasping when his thrust is met by a solid thigh. He groans and does it again. Harry releases him, and Louis shoves Harry back, watching him flop on the bed with a loopy grin on his face. They both peel out of their shirts, and Louis wants to remark the fact that Harry has four nipples instead of two but that can happen another time.

  


“Why’re you grinning, mister?” Louis nudges his foot as he crawls onto the bed, laying beside him and staring at him fondly. Harry just lays back and smiles up at him. He touches Louis’ face gently, tracing his jaw, trailing across his bottom lip. Louis just lets him. He absentmindedly brushes his fingers through Harry’s wind tousled curls, and Harry hums and closes his eyes for a moment before opening them to answer.

  


“I’m smiling because I’m happy. And I’m glad that I am here. I’m happy that I was stupid enough to let myself say yes. I’m happy it’s you.” Louis’ heart swells just a bit (a lot) and he has to kiss him to hide the fact that Harry affects him this way, in a way that no other relationship (one night stand or otherwise) had ever made him feel before. And it’s scary and exhilarating at the same time. Harry hums into the kiss; closing his eyes and lazily kissing, licking across Louis’ bottom lip. Harry rolls his hips up. Louis whines into the kiss and grinds down against him. They’re both so hard they can hardly breathe.

  


“God, I’ve wanted you since you pulled me out of the pool.” Harry says and Louis chuckles into his lips.

  


“I wanted you before you fell into the pool, you klutz.” Harry gives a steady thrust as a backfire but Louis just rolls over on top to straddle Harry’s hips and pin them to the bed so he can rub against Harry’s hip and Harry against his thigh and still be able to kiss.

  


“Is this going to be a fast thing? Because I’d really like to cum and cuddle, if it’s alright with you. I’m pretty beat from shopping, but I’ll play if you want to draw it out I-“

  


“Stop rambling, ‘m focusing here.” Louis pulls back and clicks open Harry’s jeans button before Harry can let out the keening whine that makes Louis kiss him again.

  


“Why. Would you wear. bloody jeans. in the summer?”

  


“To make it difficult for you, of course.” Harry teases and Louis just tugs them down his endlessly long limbs, beaming in the fact that he hardly had to work for it.

  


Harry’s pupils are crazy blown, and Louis loves the look of adventure, of lust, of something else lingering in the background. He leans down, eyes steady on Harry’s and presses an opened mouth kiss to his navel, just under his belly button and right between the laurels framing his hips. Harry shivers and bites his lip to keep from whimpering. He also can’t stop smiling. He closes his eyes, but he wants to look at Louis so he stares down at him with half closed eyes and a grin peeking out around his bit lip.

  


Louis rolls his eyes fondly and trails south. Harry’s eyes widen, eyebrows raise and his hips buck at the feeling of Louis’ open mouthed kisses on the line of his cotton boxers. There’s a stain from how wet Harry is on the y-front of his boxers, and Louis is so tempted to go right for it to see what reaction he’ll bring from Harry, but instead he teases; trailing his finger down the side of the outline of Harry. He nearly shivers. God. He’s exactly as he expected. Long, thick, and hard.

  


He wants to peel back his boxers, and he can tell that Harry wants him to too, but he presses his nose to the corner of Harry’s hip, drawing in the scent of him and pulls down his boxers to reveal his hips more, and he sucks hard and fast to produce a love bite that will last. Harry rings his fingers through Louis’ hair, mussing it. His fingers cling to the tiny hairs at the back of his neck, and Louis just smiles and kisses the love bite before pressing his thumb into it to elicit a beautiful sound from Harry.

  


“Christ.” Harry chokes out and Louis shakes his hands out of his hair. He also presses a kiss to the damp patch and breathes warm air, causing Harry to make a garbled noise and shift the slightest.

  


“Lift.” Is all Louis has to say before Harry’s doing a back bend on the bed, whimpering gently as Louis peels back the boxers and flings them across the suite, he revels in all that is Harry.

  


He’s long and thick and hard like he expects, with a single vein running along the underside. He’s pretty clean, like he shaves and hasn’t in a while. Louis bites his lip. Harry unabashedly lays with his legs spread, ready for whatever Louis plans on doing. Louis can’t help but bite his lip because he wants so much with Harry but right now he’s too tired to actually ask for what he wants. So instead he kisses Harry, who groans because he can taste himself on Louis’ lip, and then Louis slips back down and takes Harry in his hand. Harry immediately bucks into his hand, grunting when he’s stroked dry. Louis gives him a squeeze. He gasps and looks at Louis.

  


He watches as Louis raises an eyebrow at him, taunting him. He’s tempted to do it again though it sort of hurt the first time, just to spite him. But instead he steels his feet and nearly gasps when Louis licks his lips and then leans in, pressing his tongue to the base of his leaking and hard cock. He can hardly breathe as Louis takes his time trailing upwards, making Harry work for it because every time Harry moves, Louis stops. It’s a frustrating process, so Harry closes his eyes and lets himself feel Louis’ ghosting tongue, shakily trying to keep himself still. He opens his  eyes when Louis trails up to the tip, swirls around the head, making sure to dip in to taste how wet he is, and then takes him inside his mouth.

  


He’s created just enough suction and he’s maintaining eye contact, and Harry’s wheezing out breaths and fisting the sheets trying his best to not fuck Louis’ mouth and Louis’ sucking hard enough that Harry could cum from just that. But he doesn’t. Louis dips further down, Harry’s face relaxes and his lips part and he keeps making these small noises. He can feel his heart hammering in his chest. He runs a shaky hand through his hair. Touches his lips where Louis has kissed him. Trails his hands down to touch his nipples. He nearly loses it when he pinches himself, both hands touching the top two.

  


Louis looks up. He doesn’t stop him. He presses a knuckle to Harry’s perineum, pushing his balls up and keeping a steady pressure on the spot that makes him keen. Then Louis’ pressing his nose to Harry’s pubic bone, right in the tiny patch of coarse hairs. His eyes flutter. Harry hits the back of his throat, gag reflex be damned. Harry is shaking now. Louis  keeps lifting just a tiny bit, coming back down and back up, relentless. And then his eyes flash to Harry’s. Thin slivers of blue around blown irises. And Harry can only take everything he’s giving him and try to focus on breathing, because apparently his body doesn’t think it’s a requirement right now.

  


“God, Louis. Please.”

  


He doesn’t know what he’s asking for, just feels like he should be saying it. Louis hums around him, vibrating right to his core. Harry can’t help it, he puts his fingers through Louis’ hair so that he’s got somewhere to put them. Louis presses his knuckle harder, and then slips a finger down, tracing Harry’s hole, nudging a fingertip in. And Harry is gone. So fucking gone. He chokes out a gasp and spills into Louis’ mouth at that without much warning. He’s cumming so hard he’s seeing spots, vision fuzzy around the edges and only eyes for Louis, who swallows like a champ and pulls off, pressing a kiss to the tip of him and then comes back up the bed to kiss Harry.

  


Harry doesn’t know how but he manages to get Louis’ shirt off, but his hand is reaching for his pants when Louis shakes his head. Harry freezes.

  


“What? You need to cum too I can-“

  


“H,” Louis chuckles, Harry looks at him with big green eyes. “I already did.”

  


“You already came? When?”

  


“Where do you think my other hand was?” Louis waves his other hand at him as if it explains it. Harry frowns. “But I didn’t get to see it. Or give it to you. Or know you did it. I feel like…”

  


“Like what?” Louis’ pressing soft kisses to his face, and Harry sighs.

  


“I owe you an orgasm.”

  


“You feel indebted to me? Over an orgasm?” Louis snorts, grinning at Harry’s pouting face.

  


“You sucked my brains out, and I didn’t even get to return the favour. How is that fair?” He whines to plead his case, and Louis just laughs and kisses him.

  


“Oh trust me babe, it was great on my end too. You don’t owe me. But if you’re really that heart wrenched about it, there will be more where that came from. And I won’t object to you doing it for me. I intend to have a lot of orgasms with you, give them to you, have them ending with your name coming out of my mouth, and then kissing it shut. But right now, I’m sticky, sweaty, and exhausted. So what do you say we clean up, cuddle, and kiss. Maybe sleep too. And you can totally pay off your indebted favour in the morning?”

  


“I’ll wake you up with my mouth on your dick.” Harry warns with a crazy grin. Louis laughs.

  


“You probably will, knowing you. C’mere.” And then he just kisses him. Because he can.

  


*

  


  


True to his word, Harry wakes Louis up with his cock in his mouth and Louis can't really complain much because, well. It's a little earlier than Louis is used to waking up but as soon as he sees Harry brilliantly vibrant pink lips wrapped around his cock he’s wide awake, twitching and writhing against the bed and fisting his fingers into Harry's matted curls. Harry just sucks harder and really it was over before it began.

  


They're getting dressed for the event tonight, and Louis can't stop watching Harry as he buttons up his shirt, pants halfway around his knees. Harry eyes him through the mirrors reflection. He beams at him.

  


"What are you staring at me for?" Harry asks. Louis shrugs.

  


"Thinking about your mouth on me." At least he's honest about it.

  


"Oh." Harry says, surprised but not embarrassed. Louis smiles at him.

  


"I think maybe you should undress again. I want you and I'm not going to be able to wait." Harry is down to his boxers before Louis even has time to think about how he wants this to go down. Harry's stays and waits for Louis. Louis takes his time in getting back down to just wearing his boxers. Harry stands with his hands behind his back, and it makes Louis’ cock harden because he looks submissive and Louis can’t express through his face. Louis looks at him and bites his lip.

  


"Have you ever been in a, I mean. Have you ever done... Have you ever had-" Fuck; he's rambling and has no idea how to ask Harry the thing he really wants to ask. Harry just eyes him curiously.

  


"Have you ever had more than just vanilla sex?" Louis blurts out and Harry laughs but he drops to his knees, legs spread apart and hands on his thighs, obediently. The scene before him is too much to handle for Louis, who is genuinely surprised by Harry's reaction.

  


"I've dabbled. The farthest I've gone is having someone using my mouth... Or otherwise and telling me when and when not to cum. It was a while ago. What were you planning to do to me?" Harry asks with a curious smile, and Louis grips Harry's chin between his thumb and fingers. He opens Harry's mouth and revels in how Harry's eyes shut when he does this, waiting.

  


"I'd like to fuck your mouth. You have a beautiful mouth that looks so wonderful, such pink lips. I'd like to make you cum only from playing with your nipples." Harry gasps and lurches forward when Louis reaches and twinges one of the top two. Harry shivers. Louis leans in close, nipping his earlobe. "I'd love to spank you."

  


"Oh." Harry says again softly with a small smile to his face. His eyes are wide and lips extra pink already from biting them. Louis smiles at him, brushes his hand down Harry's cheek and across his bottom lip. Harry reaches forward to nip it and Louis taps his bottom lip as a warning.

  


"Yes, _oh_. Part of me is grateful that you've dabbled. Part of me is grateful that you've never fully experienced anything really. I could show you so many new things, H. That is, only if you want me to.” Harry shivers and nods at him. Louis smiles.

  


“Okay. We can talk more about it later, but for now we don’t have much time. Right now I really want to fuck your mouth again, but I’d also really love to spank you.” Harry bites his lip, eyes bright and he nods.

  


  


“Come here then. I want to kiss you.” Harry scoots forward and kisses Louis, tongue slipping out to lick across his bottom lip and his giant hands go to Louis’ hips. Louis bends down to kiss Harry, not holding back and completely going for sloppy kisses. When he pulls back Harry’s panting, a hand touching himself over his boxers with flushed cheeks. Louis quirks an eyebrow.

  


“Now I really want to spank you.” Harry lurches forward as if he can’t stop his body from reacting that way, and Louis steadies him with a hand on his shoulder. He lifts his hips and removes his now ruined boxers, and his cock sits hard against his stomach. Harry eyes him and then looks up to his face.

  


“Go on.” Louis says, and Harry leans in, getting closer. He’s locked in between Louis’ thighs, his hands wrap around each thigh to have somewhere to hold and quite possibly keep himself from touching things he shouldn’t right now. He has to admit, this is a lot hotter with Louis than it ever was with-

  


“You look so good, H.” Harry’s head lowers, and he gets an evil idea. Something he does to get people going when he’s sucking them. He stretches out his tongue, licks over the tip, and then rests Louis’ cock on his bottom lip, waiting. Eyes never leaving the lock he has on Louis. At this, Louis closes his eyes and his body shivers and he groans and runs a hand down Harry’s cheek before coming back up and fisting into his curls.

  


“Fuck, H. Where did you come from?” Harry feels like grinning, like he’s won, and Louis pushes his down slowly, Harry welcomes him in. Dropping his jaw, relaxing, breathing through his nose, covering his teeth. He lets Louis have him and lets him use him. And he’s so hard that he can tell he’ll have stains in his boxers, again.

  


Louis gives little thrusts, and when Harry tries to sink further down he grips his hair tightly to scold him. He’s taking his time. Harry is warm and slick and so _good,_ and he wants to take as long as he can. Harry just lets him _use his mouth,_ jaw slack and open and just letting Louis do as he pleases and god it’s so hot Louis’ trying to hold back cumming across his cheeks because it’ll be a mess that will take far too long to clean.

  


Harry only gags twice. He’s used to deep throating but he’s not used to being pushed all the way down in one go without warning. He likes it though. The sound he makes is primal, the sound Louis makes makes Harry dig his nails into Louis’ thighs. Louis does it again, again he gags and it’s a little rough, but Harry loves it. His voice might be positively croaky, but it’ll be worth it. Louis holds him down, his nose pressed to Louis’ public bone and Harry’s struggling for air but he’s so hard he goes to reach for his cock again, he could cum like this but Louis grips his hand with his free one and that’s all the warning he needs not to do it. Harry swallows around him when he realizes that after this Louis is going to be spanking him. And it’s then that Louis gasps.

  


“H, I’m gonna-“ Harry swallows again and Louis cries as he cums down Harry’s throat. He’s spasming in Harry’s mouth, extra twitches from aftershocks and Harry swallows as best he can. He can feel a tiny bit dribbling down his chin. He shivers and pulls away. He looks up at Louis.

  


“Fuck, you’re so beautiful.” Louis says, cupping his cheek and staring at him like he’s the sun. Harry smiles, wipes the last of the cum off his chin beams at Louis.

  


“I take it I did well, then.” Harry says and Louis leans forward and kisses him.

  


He doesn’t care that he can taste himself on Harry’s tongue. He doesn’t care that there’s a small bit of leftover cum on Harry’s cheek that he missed. He doesn’t care that they’re probably going to be a bit late for their grand entrance because this is so much better and so good and he could do this all day with Harry for the rest of his life. He can’t believe his luck in finding Harry, and he tells him as much.

  


“I still want to spank you.” Louis murmurs against Harry’s mouth. Harry nods, because maybe just maybe he wants that too.

  


“Get up here.” Louis says and Harry pushes up into a standing position, unsure of where Louis wants him.

  


He raises his eyebrows to question and Louis grips his wrist, yanking him towards him. Harry loses his balance, arms flailing and then he’s landing with a soft _oof_. His entire torso is across Louis’ knees, his cock is between Louis thighs because Louis has thrown his left leg over Harry’s legs. He doesn’t know why that is.. His hands are flat on the carpet so stop him from falling, but he pulls them up because he feels safe enough to not fall over. For some reason he can’t stop smiling. He’s grinning like an idiot and his eyes glance up at Louis under fanned lashes and Louis’ grinning back at him.

  


“If you want me to stop, you need to say so. Just say stop. And I will. Okay?” Louis asks, running a hand down Harry’s long, stretched out back. It makes him shiver and gasp when his cock twitches against Louis’ thighs. He groans.

  


“Yes.” He breathes. He anticipates Louis’ every move, is waiting to feel a blooming heat to his cheek and a _slap_ sound, but instead he feels Louis massaging it instead. He’s grabbing harder than one normally would and it stops. He hears it before he feels the first hit, the _slap_ sound and then the light stinging that makes him lurch forward out of instinct as he gasps and snorts and actually laughs at the fact that he just got spanked for the first time in his life and the fact that his cock has a reaction to it he never expected to have.

  


“Are you laughing?” Louis asks incredulously and Harry looks up at him, beaming and biting his lip.

  


Harry’s arms are tucked up under his chin and he looks right comfortable and so Louis spanks him again while he’s still looking directly at him. He sees Harry’s face change, the shock of the hit and then the shock of how he feels about it, his arms tensing as he realizes ‘yeah that kinda hurts but feels good too’ and his sticky sweet smile that never fades as Louis hits again. Harry giggles again, and Louis smiles. He’s glad that he’s enjoying this because he’s going to want to do it again, and again. Louis starts spanking harder, quicker in succession and switching between right and left, and Harry’s arse is turning a gorgeous shade of pink. Harry starts whimpering, groaning when Louis spanks right in the centre of the pink marks that are blooming. He’s still smiling, eyebrows knit as the hits get harder, and biting his lip to stop the noise. Louis pauses, rubbing his arse and Harry sighs when Louis does it. Louis fists his hands in Harry’s mess of hair, forcing his head back to look at him.

  


“Do you want more?” Louis asks and Harry swallows. His mouth is wide open, his arms, trying to keep himself from falling off Louis’ knee wrap under Louis’ thighs. His eyes are bright and he flushes bright pink in the cheeks when he nods.

  


“Okay.” Louis says, letting go on his hair to let him relax again. For now.

  


Louis rubs his cheeks once more before he delivers two quick slaps in succession on each cheek. It’s harder than he hit before, and Harry knows it. His arse is warm and pink, and it’s starting to actually hurt now. He groans, his arms flying back to touch his bum and gasps when he doesn’t quite make it there. Louis has pinned his hands behind him, at the small of his back. He can’t move his arms. He struggles, smiling the entire time and gasping, groaning when Louis squeezes his thighs shut around his cock. He pants and rests his forehead against Louis’ thigh.

  


“You asked for more, didn’t you?” Harry whimpers.

  


“Yes.” He replies. Louis nods though Harry can’t see him through the tangle of hair. He suspects Harry is one for dirty talk, so he leans down close and gives an extra squeeze to his hand bound wrists.

  


“Can’t move now, H. I got you all to myself. What’re you going to do?” Louis spanks, relentless. Harry is gasping down, mouth hung open and eyes bright as the stars as Louis keeps going. He struggles against Louis but really it’s only for show. He’s bigger than Louis and if he really wanted to be let go he could totally do it. Louis now understands. Harry likes to struggle.

  


“Louis I’m going to cum-“ Harry warns and Louis squeezes his thighs together, trapping him between them. Harry lets out a primal sound, and on a particularly hard spank Harry lurches forward and cums all over Louis’ thighs and the floor. He’s shaking on Louis’ knees, whimpering and gasping and positively giddy. He looks up at Louis like he’s the sun and Louis releases him and draws him up into his arms. Harry’s thighs rest across Louis’, and he’s wrapped around him like a monkey.

  


“I feel odd.” Harry murmurs and Louis just smiles.

  


“Floaty?” Harry hums. Louis knows this feeling all too well, and so he snuggles Harry impossibly closer.

  


“Kind of. I’m okay, really good actually. Fuck, that was good. Thank you.” Harry tells him and Louis just holds him for a few more minutes.

  


“You did really well, and I learned some thing for next time about you. There will be a next time, I assume?” Harry nods vehemently and kisses Louis’ face. Louis laughs and kisses him back, and Harry’s back to being Harry, only maybe a little clingier. The two clean themselves up again, Louis puts lotion on Harry’s beautifully pink bum so it’s not so bad to pull pants on, and the two of them head out for the evening’s charity event.

  


*

  


Harry grips Louis’ hand tightly in the black SUV. Apparently it’s not a thing to be delivered to events in limos anymore, or maybe this was Louis’ preferred method of transportation. He knows they’re coming close when he can see people gathering the streets in clumps.

  


“We could always turn back, you know.” Louis murmurs from where his head rests on Harry’s shoulder. Harry shakes his head.

  


“No.” Harry tells him. If he made them turn around now it would feel like a defeat. He doesn’t want to let Louis down.

  


They’re getting closer, he can see the building where they’re holding the event; a extravagant French banquet hall with with swarms of paparazzi and apparently fans of all the socialites attending. He can see another being dropped off, a girl in a glittering gold dress and a man in a suit, and they walk down the little red carpet for paparazzi to take their pictures. There are only two cars until their turn, and Harry just breathes heavily to avoid looking like he wants to duck and roll out of this car and run far away. He promised he’d try, he wants this with Louis; but the idea of it being real now is terrifying. He’s reassured that what he’s doing is the right thing, the right time when he sees the sparkle in the pools of blue that lean in the kiss him before their car pulls up.

  


“It’s now or never.” Harry says when their car comes to a stop.

  


He looks past Louis to his left where all the photographers are snapping photos of the car, shouting at the couple ahead, and waiting for their exit of the car and entrance to the walk of blinding lights. Louis gives his hand an extra squeeze, looks at him in a way Harry never thought he’d see, and then the door is being opened by a man in a penguin tuxedo.

  


“You’re going to do great. You look radiant. Try to look down as you’re getting out, your eyes will adjust, okay?” Harry nods, slips out the door with Louis and keeps his eyes downcast as he steps out of the way for the door to close. Does he take Louis’ hand? Does he walk by himself? How should he smile?

  


“Just breathe, H. Pretend you’re back in the room, with me. Smile at them like you do to me.” Harry wants to tell Louis that that smile is reserved for his eyes only because it gives too much of what he’s feeling away, but Louis just straightens his flower lapel for him and gives him a big reassuring smile full of fond.  “Or better yet, if it helps, just look at me. I’ll be right here. It’s time to make your first runway walk, babe. You’ll do great. Come.”

  


“If they ask, don’t mention my name. Let them flounder for a bit.” Harry says softly and Louis laughs, taking his hand and watching him as they start to walk towards the door.

  


“Louis! Over here Louis! Louis who is your date! Curly, over here!” Shouts upon shouts, and Harry feels overwhelmed. Louis just smiles at him and Harry smiles back so he doesn’t look like he’s shitting his pants in all the pictures being taken, and a genuine smile erupts from him when Louis comes up to kiss his cheek and Harry leans into it. He’s beaming at Harry, brushes a stray curl off his face and then turns, pulling him further down the walkway as another couple arrives.

  


“You’re doing great.” Louis tells him and Harry lets out a big breath of air.

  


“It’s overwhelming. I feel like I’m panicking. Like seriously. Panicking. Louis.” Louis freezes at the tone of Harry’s voice, knowing it’s anything but okay. He glances at Harry and notices the overwhelmed and almost frightened look on his face. Louis acts quickly, pulling him off to the side and holds both Harry’s hands, eyeing him carefully. Harry swallows and breathes, closes his eyes and pulls his lip between his teeth. His hands are shaking and he feels like a git. He swallows again, opening his eyes and smiling at Louis.

  


“I’m sorry.” He says shakily and gives a nervous laugh. Louis shakes his head and presses his forehead to Harry’s, cupping his cheeks to keep Harry’s eyes locked to his.

  


“Hey. I was eight the first time my parents brought me to one. I had a tantrum and they had to call my nanny to come get me.”

  


“Was this in London?” Louis grins and shakes his head. Harry bites his lip and his eyelashes flutter. Louis feels like he’s floating, like there’s a balloon in his chest inflating every time he makes Harry smile.

  


“I think it was like- in the US or some shit. She had to fly out from London just to come get me. They thought I was old enough to go but they were so wrong. So you’re one up on me, babe. Let’s go inside, it’s quieter in there.” Harry just shakily smiles and  lets Louis lead him up the grand stair case to the door, and then turn back for final pictures before they’re inside.

  


As promised it’s quieter inside; there’s a steady rumble of talking and glasses clinking and a soft piano noise coming from somewhere. But there’s no paparazzi hounding them and shouting names. They pass through the grand lobby and through the doors to the main room, a set of grand stairs equally as big as outsides coming down into a bowl where the event is almost in full swing. The walls are all royal white and gold with lights and decor and it’s got an endlessly tall ceiling with crystal chandeliers and it’s everything you’d expect of a socialites party and more. Like Gatsby, but more regal and modern. Only a few photographers are allowed inside, and Harry lets out a sigh of relief. Louis leads him down the stairs where the tables are set up behind the dance floor.

  


“Wow. This is crazy.” Harry breathes and smiles at Louis. Louis leads him over to the table with a champagne waterfall glass display and they pick up glasses of the pink bubbly drink. It’s sweet and Louis wonders what it will taste like when he kisses Harry. Will Harry want him to kiss him at the event?

  


“Louis!” Louis whips around, mid sip of his drink when he spots her.

  


“Aidee!” He says with a giant grin and he looks up at Harry who is biting his lip and his smile is slowly deflating. He’s swishing his drink and Louis squeezes his hand and Harry looks at him.

  


“Hey. You and me, Curly.” He says it so softly, so fondly that Harry’s smile comes back, hidden when he bites his lip more. Harry follows Louis and is surprised when he’s pulled into a double hug by the little woman. She’s beaming up at him and Louis.

  


“Oh you two look so sweet! I’m Aidee, by the way.”

  


“She’s the girl from the club… that you saw when you saw me there… not that I met her in the club… oh never mind.” Louis just sighs and sips his drink again, because he’s clearly not going to be able to form a sentence now.

  


“Oh dear. Does he always ramble around you?” Harry smiles and shrugs.

  


“I find it endearing.” He tells her.

  


“Thanks, H.” Louis says sarcastically and Harry beams down at him. Louis’ tempted to nudge his arse and see his reaction, but he thinks the reaction Harry has while sitting down is exactly what he expected. Delicate and slowly sitting, his sit spot sore and pink under those tight pants. He smiles at Harry who gives him a dark look.

  


They socialize, and it’s not nearly as terrible as Harry thought it would be. Aidee has a date named Jason here and he’s really nice, and soon after meeting him he meets Aidee’s best friend Aly and her American boyfriend Logan. Their table is really friendly like Louis, and he’s surprised how normal they all seem. He knows he’s sitting in a room with people who have a million times more money than him, and that’s not even an exaggeration. He’s probably the only one here with a bank account with less than six digits. Or even five digits. Hardly four sometimes. But he doesn’t think about that. He doesn’t even mind when Louis excuses himself to go make their entrance donation. Harry thinks he would’ve made it sooner if he wasn’t worried Harry would freak out and leave. But their little table group is great, and Aidee even mentions she and Harry going out sometimes and hanging out, as girlfriends do. And the thought isn’t even a horrible one. Maybe not all rich people were assholes and stuck up snobs.

  


Soon announcements are made, everyone is socializing with everyone. Louis returns to him and Harry barely has time to smile before his face furrows in anger. Louis whips around and frowns. She’s tall, blond, her hair pulled back in a sleek bun and her dress is blinding. She cackles a rich posh laugh, and Louis knows who she is. And where she comes from. And why she’s really here. One of her friends points to him with a wicked grin and she turns. Her green eyes pierce him like daggers and he stands tall as he faces her. Her long legs walk his way and Louis grips Harry’s hand.

  


“Louis, darling.” She says in the most posh voice Harry has ever heard. He can’t stop glaring at her. Squeezes Louis’ hand as hard as he can when Louis fake hugs her. She sighs when she pulls back, pulling her bright red lips into a grin. Her teeth have lipstick in them, and Harry can’t be bothered to tell her.

  


“Pricilla. I thought you weren’t attending.” He says coolly. She flutters her eyelashes.

  


“Well I managed to squeeze this into my very tight schedule.” She says simply. Smugly. Harry clears his throat. He doesn’t expect anything of it, it’s just a nervous habit of his, but suddenly the green daggers are staring at him and she’s analyzing him, judging him. He shifts on his feet and Louis stands in front of him shielding him almost. He feels protected behind Louis. He rubs his sweaty palms on his thighs.

  


“You look very familiar.” She says to Harry, narrowing her eyes. Harry just freezes and bites his lip.

  


“He’s got a very memorable face.” Louis says, reaching behind him to take Harry’s hand and give him a solid protective squeeze.

  


“It seems so.” She says with a quick lip, she tucks her clutch under her arm and walks away before the confrontation continued. Harry released a big gush of air and hugs Louis from behind. Louis’ hands are shaking.

  


“I want to strangle that Barbie bitch.” He seethes. Harry hushes him quietly.

  


“She’s not worth it.” Harry calmly tells him.

  


“But H. We know she fucking nearly killed you. And I swear she knows it too.  She recognized you. She wouldn’t have if she didn’t know what she did. I didn’t think she’d be here. She fucking pisses me off, she always has. Fuck. You looked so fucking pissed, so scared. H…”

  


He turns around and looks up at Harry’s face. His cheeks are rosy and his lips are so pink from the champagne and his eyes are big and open, staring down at Louis. Louis can’t help it, he surges forward and kisses him because _why the fuck not_ and Harry kisses him back. He wraps his arms around Louis’ neck, drawing him in and licking across his lips and Louis makes a muffled surprised noise. Harry tastes like the champagne, sweet and amazing and fuck Louis wants so much with him it’s crazy and scary and he pulls back, breathless. Harry is his mirror, breathing heavily and grinning.

  


“H, I-“

  


“Please be seated. The dinner will be starting momentarily, followed by the auction.” Louis’ mouth snaps shut. He doesn’t know what came over him, but he knew if he didn’t stop himself he would’ve said something stupid and probably fucked this entire thing up. Louis guides Harry to their seats, at a table with Aidee and the others.

  


Their meals are perfectly cooked, french dishes that Louis can’t name but knows are amazing from previous events. The chat around the table is constantly changing and making them laugh. It’s a nice group to be talking to and Harry gets along and doesn’t feel left out or estranged within the group and that makes Louis happy. And Louis likes to listen as Harry talks vividly of his life at home, not at all afraid to admit that he’s nothing like these people with such extravagant lives. Aidee talks about her mission work, and Harry’s eyes sparkle. It seems like something he’s really interested in, in helping people like Aidee does; part of Louis makes a mental note to return to that, just because he can. Harry takes everything in, absorbing like a sponge.

  


Out of habit, Louis reaches out to him, brushes his hand across Harry’s thigh and then rests there, sitting palm up. Harry places his hand over Louis’ and squeezes gently; he smiles at him, a soft and simple smile that dimples at his cheeks and touches his eyes that are shining. It makes his heart race. That smile. That fond smile that Louis hopes is reserved for him. It makes Louis’ belly curl with a surprised feeling. And he knows it’s something he’s never really felt before, at least not to anyone other than family. He had this feeling every time he held a new baby sister for the first time. And Louis knows what that feeling is. It’s the feeling that someone is punching him in the throat, ripping his heart out of his chest and dangling it by a single curly haired thread. By a dimpled smile and bright green eyes. And the thought, the _realization_ doesn’t exactly scare Louis, but it does make him breathless because who knew it would be this simple? To like someone, and then feel so much for them that they mean more to you than anything you ever thought possible? He knows it’s over, there’s no going back now. Louis’ so gone. He’s hook, line and sinker for this boy. He knew he never even stood a chance.

  


“Hi.” He says softly and Harry’s smile grows infinitely bigger.

  


“Hi?” He says back in a soft lilt. Louis’ eyes trail down, looking at Harry’s shirt. For some reason, the image of Harry in flowy and half open button down shirts come to mind, and it makes Louis bite his lip. Harry quirks an eyebrow at him curiously.

  


“I want to buy you new shirts.” Louis says firmly, with a nod as if agreeing with himself and Harry’s smile deflates a little bit.

  


“Where did that come from?” Louis shrugs.

  


“I just started picturing you in really nice shirts. I think you’d look amazing in a soft cotton or a shiny satin. And I’d like to buy you some while we’re here before we leave tomorrow.”

  


“But I wouldn’t get to wear them much. I have to wear the… uniform.” He says softly as some people pass behind them. Louis frowns at that. Harry’s not wrong there.

  


“Well maybe I can talk to-“

  


“No. Don’t you dare. Louis, we talked about this. This isn’t going to work if you keep throwing your money around and requesting favours from the head honchos just because you can. I can’t just be… a WAG or a… a sugar baby. That’s not me.” Louis frowns even more deeply. He hadn’t thought of it that way at all.

  


“I know. I know that’s not you. I don’t want that either. I told you that. But I want to buy these things because I care about you; Harry, you’re worth so much more-“

  


“The auction will be beginning in a moment, so please get out your chequebooks and auction paddles!” 

  


Louis trails off again, and Harry goes quiet and still. The crowd’s noise rises to a dull roar, excited for the main event to take place. Harry shifts in his seat and watches as Louis takes his cheque book out of his inner coat pocket, and picks the auction paddle up off the table. A glimmering gold paddle with a shiny black number ’28’ on it. Louis keeps flipping it over and over. Harry nudges his paddle on the table, numbered ’17’. He knows his won’t be used in a bidding war tonight, or at all, so there’s really no point in him picking it up at all.The paddle is good quality for a charity event, better than ones he’s seen before, but it’s not for holding up and waving about and using it to buy things that Louis is thinking of it’s good use for. It’s a thicker, more durable material, no bigger than a ping pong paddle. Louis tests it gently on his hand, subtly. He bites his lip. Harry’s watching him, his mouth agape and eyes dark. Louis smirks. Well, that settles that.

  


The auctions begin, beautiful jewelry and ugly art pieces are fought over by older WAGs and men trying to buy their affection. China sets are sold for over millions of dollars and the sound of the auctioneer’s voice carries through Harry. All this money is going to a good place -he knows that- but Harry doesn’t think that a lot of the people are spending their money just to give to charity, they’re spending it because they’re greedy bastards who have more money than brain cells and want things that they don’t need to prove they’re better than the others. And that doesn’t sit well with him. Louis on the other hand isn’t spending willy nilly, nor is he bidding on every single thing just so he can prove he can or make someone else pay more. He buys a giant lot of toys, getting in a bidding war with a little old granny with fifteen grandchildren who don’t need another cent spent on them, for over $200,000. He then tells Harry, who is having mini heart attacks every time the bids go over $10,000 that he plans to donate all of these toys to the local children foster homes and hospitals in London. It makes Harry beam knowing that.

  


They’re coming down to the final few items. Aidee buys a collection of dresses and shoes and declares to the entire room that she will be donating them to a charity in London that provides underprivileged girls with prom and graduation dresses for free. She really had to overbid the $50,000 price tag, nearly 10 times that amount. Harry can’t stop grinning when Louis and Aidee get into a bidding war over some stupid lamp that looks horrible, and then some lady throws in a $10 million price tag and really that’s the end of that feud. Harry is watching Louis carefully write out his cheques for the few things he’s bought, knowing full well of the overly ambitious price tags, when they pull up the last item on a rolling table. Louis’ head snaps up. Harry raises an eyebrow and turns around. 

  


“Our last item for tonight is a very extensive, mint condition bout of first edition classics. They’re all leather bound, and including works from some of the greatest names: _Austen, Hardy, Baum, Fitzgerald, Tolstoy,_ and more! Including some signed editions! Who will start the bidding?” The auctioneer searches a crowd and a little old man shouts out a low bid of $10,000. Harry bites his lip. 

  


“One million.” Harry freezes. That voice came from right beside him. Louis. Louis is bidding. Harry raises his eyebrows. Louis smirks at him. Oh no.

  


“Louis.” Harry warns but Louis shakes his head and waits for the bet to raise. 

  


“Don’t. Don’t do this. _Louis.”_ He’s getting seriously panicked, Louis’ price keeps raising, and raising. Harry is hiding his face. He’s shaking.

  


“You’re a bloody idiot.” Harry whines and he shakes his head because he knows. He just _knows_ that Louis won’t stop until he’s won, billions of dollars or not. That’s the problem, he doesn’t care. 

  


“Please.” Harry pleads one last time as Louis waits for the next bid. 

  


“Eight million.” Oh god. Pricilla. She’s smirking over at Harry, and Harry nearly heaves his dinner on the floor. Louis’ so fucking pissed now. 

  


“Ten.” He shouts.

  


“Fifteen.” She yawns at him. Harry is wheezing.

  


“Louis, stop. It’s not worth it.” He breathes.

  


“Twenty five million.” 

  


God damn it. Harry stands, he’s trembling and he can’t breathe and he’s going to be sick because he knows Pricilla is going to raise it again, and Louis’ only going to fire back. He’s not going to let her win. He’s got his eyes on the prize. A prize for Harry that’s making him feel physically ill. He’s running out of the ballroom just as the auctioneer shouts _SOLD_ and Louis shouts his name. 

  


*

  


  


  


Louis knows he’s fucked up when he finds Harry in the men’s room, hurling his guts into the toilet.

  


“Babe.”

  


“Get away from me right now, Lou.” Harry says as he rests his head on his arm. Louis can see he’s trying so hard not to mess up his suit but the bile rising into his throat is proving to make that a difficult. Louis tuts and pushes his curls back off his clammy face and Harry’s lip trembles.

  


“You shouldn’t have done that. God, Louis. Twenty five million dollars?” He smacks Louis’ shoulder.

  


“Harry, babe. It’s really okay. I wanted to-“

  


“But I didn’t want you to! That’s not how it works! God, I’m not worth half- no a quarter- no! Not even a penny of that money!” Louis’ face recoils like he’s been slapped.

  


“Don’t say that. It’s not true. You’re worth every cent.” Harry chokes out a soft cry and shakes his head.

  


“They’re too much.” Louis bites his lip.

  


“I think I have a solution.” Harry swallows and lifts his head from where he’s been resting it on his arm. He blinks away the bleary tears.

  


“You will pick a few of your favourites for you.” Harry opens his mouth to argue but Louis shushes them. “And I will keep the rest at my flat, because I do enjoy a good classic once in a while. But-“ Louis touches his nose gently to make him smile. Harry’s nose twitches at the gesture. “You have to promise that you’ll come spend time with me after this summer. You know, to read the books.” 

  


“Is that all?” He rolls his eyes, and Louis raises an eyebrow at him.

  


“Harold, I just put myself out there and told you I want this to be more than a summer thing. Will you accept my offer?”

  


“But I don’t live in London. I’m saving my money for tuition, I can’t afford tickets to and from-“

  


“But I can.” Harry pushes himself up off the floor and shakes his head as he brushes past Louis and splashes water on his face. His hands still shake. Louis watches him through the mirror.

  


“You don’t get it, do you? You think your money is just something you can throw around. It’s not! You don’t know how it feels to have barely enough money in your bank account to get by, not even close to enough to go to school to become something, and- and you’ve never had to try to work so hard only to have shit ripped away from you! I know, I feel so horrible for saying this, Louis, because you’re so… so good. So different from the other people out there. But you’ll never understand how it feels for me, to physically be sick at the thought of you blowing all that money… I can’t let you do this, always buying me things. Because what happens when one of these days it’s not going to be there for me? I can’t depend on you to do everything just because you can. Even if you want to buy me these things. I can’t. I’m sorry.”

  


“Ouch. Tell me how you really feel, Haz.” Louis chuckles softly and steps up behind Harry. Harry flinches but Louis shakes his head. He’s not mad. He goes on his tiptoes just to rest his chin on Harry’s shoulder, arms wrap around his waist. Kisses his cheek softly and meets his eyes in the mirror.

  


“I’m sorry.” Harry breathes softly and Louis hushes him with a kiss to his neck. Harry sighs and tilts his head so Louis can kiss behind his ear.

  


“It’s okay.”

  


“It’s not.” 

  


“Okay.” 

  


“Okay.”

  


Something in the air hovers. Harry can’t quite tell what it is. But Louis kisses him gently. Disgusting sick mouth and all, and it somehow relaxes him better than any drug. Like that, he knows he’s in trouble. Like a moth to the flame. He’s addicted to Louis. And that would be his downfall.

  


*

  


  


**'Socialite Louis Tomlinson seen spotted at a charity auction with his unnamed arm candy. Sources say Tomlinson was cuddled up with the curly haired hottie for most of the night. Another said the boy was quite taken back by all the cameras flashing and Tomlinson had to take him aside for the lad to calm down. The poor dear!'**

*

  


  


  


**'A day on the town! Louis Tomlinson, son of Mark Tomlinson, was spotted out and about on the town with an unknown cutie he brought as his date to a charity event a week prior. There has been no luck in finding a name to the fellow yet, so the question still remains: who is he? And where can I get one?!’**

  


  


“You’re famous, mate! You look great!” Niall sniggers because he’s made a funny, a rhyme that makes Harry roll his eyes. He’s only heard this for days.

  


“Shut up.” Harry mumbles and rolls his eyes. Niall is flashing two newspapers in front of his face.

  


“But Harry! Two tabloid stories in two weeks! Mama S is going to flip shit! Gemma will too! Our little celebrity no name!”

  


“You’re a git.” Harry sips at an iced tea.

  


He’s waiting for Louis to meet him here. He’s dressed in one of the ridiculous floral shirts Louis bought him in Paris that he secretly loves though he’ll deny it at any chance he gets. He’s purposefully left the buttons undone from the middle of the shirt up. His chest is on full display and so many girls have come up to him, mainly to ask if it’s him in the paper and he just sort of shrugged, even when a girl flirted with him and slipped him her number.

  


"You're hoping he'll fuck you. Aren't you?" Niall wiggles his eyebrows at Harry while handing an older lady a Cosmo. She glances Harry up and down and whispers 'I'd do it for free' before scurrying along with her elderly friends. Harry's face goes pink. 

  


"Seems I've got some stiff competition with Gladys." Louis is leaning against the hut of the bar, smirking smugly. Harry rolls his eyes and gulps the last of his iced tea. He walks over to Louis and receives a kiss as hello. 

  


"Alright love birds. You're blocking business."

  


"Go eat Josh's ass, Niall." Harry murmurs into the soft tan skin of Louis' collarbone. Louis can definitely say that Harry has been pretty affectionate lately which is a nice surprise and change. 

  


"I did last night. Thank you." He cackles loudly and Louis and Harry walk away disgusted. 

  


"I didn't need that image in my mind." Harry whines. 

  


"Well I suppose we could always change the image to something a little more… us.” Louis offers a suggestion, voice hinting at something that stirs in Harry’s belly. Harry raises an eyebrow at him and follows him happily to wherever it is he's leading him. 

  


On the rooftop of the resort. That’s where he takes him. Louis’ private rooftop. Their own little piece of the universe that no one can go but them. Louis smirks at Harry as soon as they enter the rooftop paradise, and he tackles him gently onto a fluffy and cloud like chaise. Harry’s back hits first, his head cradled by Louis’ hands. They rove everywhere. Harry is already so hot for him, eyes wide and begging Louis. 

  


“I feel like a bloody teenager. Fuck- how is it that just being around you makes me feel like a horny sixteen year old?” Harry asks, hands tracing down the delightful curve of Louis’ back, hiking up his shirt as he traces the soft skin. Louis hums from where he’s sucking a love bite into his collarbone. 

  


“It’s great though, isn’t it?” He mumbles as he trails his kisses up Harry’s jaw, across his cheek, stubble scratching his skin. 

  


Harry shivers and smiles against his skin. He kisses Louis gently, a kiss that turns to a garbled groan when Louis runs his nails across Harry’s nipple. His shirt has been unbuttoned and he’s not sure when that happened, but Louis is trailing his fingers up and down his ribs, thumbs brushing his nipples as he goes. It makes Harry bite his lip and he watches Louis pop the button on his stupid cut off denim shorts. Louis looks up at him for a moment as he lifts his hips, letting the shorts fall down his endless legs and fall to the floor. His boxers are tight and there’s a look on Louis’ face that he can’t quite read. A sparkle of his eyes, and smirk that fades into fond. Then he bites his lip and the dark and wanting look is back. 

  


“You left this here the other day. I figure we could make use of it?” Harry’s eyes look at Louis’ hand. Harry’s headscarf, the red and blue patterned one. Harry bites his lip to hide the smile.

  


“What did you have in mind then?” Harry asks, flirting with him. Louis smirks and leans in to kiss him. Harry closes his eyes and waits for the kiss to come.

  


“This.” Harry’s heart is in his throat as his body flips over and is pinned to the chaise, his face pressed into the pillowed side. His hands, once under him to catch his fall are no longer there. He’s grinning now and laughing, because Louis is pulling his arms behind his back to pin them down. He’s struggling against Louis’ hold only because he can and he loves the feeling that he can’t move under Louis. His cock instantly hardens at this, the feeling of being helpless under Louis’ careful control. He glances back at Louis who’s shaking his head with a ridiculous grin on his face.

  


“Only you would laugh about this.” Louis says as he knots the headscarf around Harry’s wrists with quick and deft knowledge at the small of his back. 

  


As soon as it’s knotted though, the tightness of the silk scarf around his wrists, Harry feels like he can’t breathe. He’s taking in the feeling, the fact that his hands won’t move, he’s on his knees and his face pressed into a pillow with his arse in the perfect spot for Louis, he’s only wearing boxers now that will surely be lost in no time, and Louis’ pressing in behind him to crowd him and it’s all so good he can’t help but whimper when Louis leans in and whispers in his ear. “Okay?”

  


“Yes.” He breathes out softly, puffing hot air out. His eyes are squeezed shut, waiting for Louis to move, to do something.

  


“Now, what am I going to do with you? You look stunning like this. Your back is even turning me on. Can you feel it?” Harry whines when Louis grinds against him, cock hard and digging into the soft cheeks of his arse. 

  


“Please.” He says for he doesn’t know what, but Louis just hums in response.

  


“Promising.” Louis trails his fingers down Harry’s spine. Harry bites his lip to stop the quivering breath from being heard. 

  


“Wait here.” Louis says pensively, sliding off the chaise and heading inside his pent house. Harry whines because he really can’t move, he doesn’t have enough momentum to push himself up. He’s literally stuck like this, and maybe Louis had planned for that to happen. Louis is back right away, holding what looks like a tube of lube and- oh.

  


“ _Oh.”_ Harry moans. The paddle. The fucking paddle with the number ’17’ on it. It’s not even Louis’ paddle, it’s _Harry’s._

  


“I was thinking…”

  


“Yes.” Harry breathes harshly and Louis laughs. He rubs Harry’s arse cheek with a hand, and then snaps the elastic of his boxers.

  


“Aren’t you eager… Okay then.” Somehow, Harry has no idea, Louis slips his boxers off without having him move. They’re flung across the rooftop and Harry hopes they haven’t gone over the edge and down on a guest. He stops thinking about that when Louis starts moving behind him. He tries to peek back but his hair is in his face. Of course. He knew he should’ve put it up in a bun. 

  


“Spread these.” He nudges Harry’s thighs so they open wide, really resting on his knees and arching his back and arse perfectly up in the air. Harry gasps at the change, the warm summer hair touching his skin, sensitive areas that if he’s honest have probably never seen the light of day. 

  


“Fuck me.” Harry chokes out.

  


“Oh, I hope so.” Louis says and Harry whines, bucking forward but his cock hangs hard between his legs and only the tip grazes the material of the chaise, making him shiver. 

  


“Now, now. None of that.” Louis stuffs a pillow under Harry’s hips, pressing just above his cock to stop it from touching the chaise and helping support his middle. Harry shivers again.

  


“If you don’t like it, tell me. Okay?” Louis trails his hand down his back. Harry hums in response.

  


It’s not what he expects. Unlike Louis’ hand, which caused a sharp slapping sound and was more of a reaction to the sound until his skin warmed up to the hits, this is full force. The first hit comes down on his left arse cheek, a loud whoosh with a good _thwack_ noise and a sharp sting immediately blooms. Harry can’t control himself, he’s lurching forward and rubbing off on the pillow and whining into the pillow under his head.

  


“Jesus!” Louis pulls his hips back and sends another hit with _his_ paddle to his other cheek. Harry again bucks forward and earns a smack from his hand this time and a nice rub after it. He’s biting his cheek and lets out a soft airy breath.

  


“Okay?”

  


“Yes.” He groans back. 

  


Louis alternates from hands to paddle, and Harry can feel himself sinking deeper and deeper into the chaise, trying and not succeeding to pull away from each hit that comes. Not because he doesn’t want them, he’s so fucking hard he’s crying now, but they’re getting more intense. And then Louis shocks him. He feels a hard hit to his left inner thigh. He screams out into the pillow and bites the fabric, body shivering with the blurt of precum that’s bubbling out of him. 

  


“How’s it feel there? Good? Intense yeah?” Louis asks softly and Harry lets out a bubble of laughter.

  


“Yeah.”

  


“You’re so beautiful.” He tells Harry that makes him blush. He jumps as another hit comes to his thighs, until they’re just as pink- or red as his arse. And Louis finally stops after ten, rubbing his arse and thighs with surprisingly cold hands. Louis pulls apart his cheeks just to look at him. He’s pink and clean and Louis touches just because it elicits a beautiful whimper out of Harry, and he watches Harry pucker and tense. He bites his lip.

  


“Fuck Harry.” Louis groans. He nicks the lube off the floor where he left it and coats his fingers. He sits on the chaise behind Harry, watches Harry’s reaction as his finger, cold with lube, touches around his hole, gently coating him. Harry whines, whimpers and pleads, pressing back.

  


“God. Please.” He chokes, broken and near sobs. He’s so beautiful like this, breaking at the seams. He’s never seen someone go under so well, but Harry is brilliant and he shouldn’t be surprised. Harry pulls at his wrists and Louis hushes him. He gently presses his finger flat against his hole. It clenches on nothing and Harry howls.

  


“Okay. Okay.” 

  


Louis gives in, pressing his index finger in slowly, feeling how warm and tight Harry is and god-it’s like he’s never fucked someone in months with how much need he has right now. He wants to fuck Harry so badly, more than anyone else, and yet he wants nothing more than to continue this slow, torturous and glorious moment of fingering Harry and watching him fall apart beneath his hand. Harry’s lost it, he’s smiling and mouthing at the fabric of the chaise, letting out bubbles of half laugh sobs and he just can’t stop smiling. It’s beautiful, and he’s sure if he had his hands free Harry would either be touching himself, spreading himself for Louis or covering his face to hide his apparent lack of control. Louis fingers him until he’s good and lax and spread on three fingers, squeezing in a pinky for four just because, and twisting when he pulls out only to go right back in and crooking. He finds what he’s looking for, a sensitive little spot that Louis finds when he crooks his fingers to the back just the slightest and as deep as his middle finger. Louis knows Harry would have no problem reaching this spot himself, and the response is beautiful. Harry’s eyes flutter, his jaw drops and he doesn’t breathe, just feels.

  


“Oh. Please. God. Louis. I need you. Please.”

  


“You want this?” Louis presses his boxer clad cock against Harry’s shining and pink hole and Harry screams out a sob and a litany of ‘please Lou please’.

  


Louis notices the shake of Harry’s back, the tremble of his thighs from being so far spread. He decides to untie Harry’s hands. They fall limp to his sides. He nudges Harry’s hips and he flops so ungracefully onto his side with the biggest of watery grins and he’s so fucking stunning Louis has to kiss him again. And again. He manages to retie the headscarf loosely around Harry’s wrists and- to his very lucky advantage- he hooks the loose end around a nail that sticking out of the chaise’s arm. Harry shakes his head like he can’t believe it, he’s again at the mercy of Louis and he hiccups a soft sob out and opens his eyes at Louis. So green. So fucking green it hurts. And dilated pupils as big as the sun. Staring at him like he’s the sun. Louis wants everything with him. The thought punches him in the guts and it’s not just because he’s shucked his boxers and now has a hand on his cock for the first time.

  


“Harry.” He murmurs, pressing his forehead to Harry’s. Harry just kisses him.

  


“Please.” He says simply. 

  


Louis reaches down and opens the condom package, rolling it onto his cock and watching Harry bite his lip at the sight. It wasn’t discussed before, and Harry’s in no state now to talk about the use of a condom, and right now Louis couldn’t care less. He slicks his hand with lube and tugs a few times to coat himself before he’s kneeling closer, lifting Harry’s hips and lining himself up with Harry’s hole. Harry sobs out a moan as he presses past his rim, and Louis groans, pressing his head close to Harry’s. Harry’s legs wrap around his hips, pushing him _closer, closer, closer_ as Harry begs him to just be inside him already. He’s struggling against his ties and Louis kisses him, bottoming out and just stilling for the longest time until he and Harry are both begging him to move. 

  


“God, I want this- I want you-“ Louis is wheezing out breaths and Harry is nodding his head as Louis pulls back and presses back in just as fast. He shivers when Louis does it again and again. Louis holds his hips up and he cries at the change of angle. And then Louis nearly dies. Harry pushes his leg over Louis’ shoulder, which makes him sob.

  


“Please. I have to hold you. Touch you. Let me. God. Please.” Louis reaches above them so fast, unhooking him from the nail and not even bothering to fully untie the scarf. Harry’s arms shakily cup his cheeks and kiss him breathless before wrapping around his neck and pulling him close. Skin to skin. There’s a wet slapping sound and just the two of them breathing and cursing and fuck, it’s just them in the world and it’s all Louis wants and it’s beautiful. 

  


“I want so much with you.” Louis breathes into Harry’s skin, inking it like a tattoo. Harry gasps, and Louis reaches down only touching him with a single finger trailing up his cock, hard and leaking against their stomachs. He reaches and presses into the sensitive perineum and cups his balls in his hand. Louis is close, but Harry is closer. What he’s doing to him down is tipping him over the edge. Harry can’t even breathe. He’s wheezing, and his face is scrunched up in all kinds of emotion, and his cock is twitching. Louis is rubbing his perineum and moving his fingers across his balls and it’s all so much that he can’t form words. 

  


“Please-“

  


“It’s okay, babe. Let go. Let go, H. Fuck me.” Louis can’t move. He can’t breathe, can’t move because Harry is all but screaming as Louis presses dead centre on his prostate and presses on his perineum and Harry is gone. He’s cumming and it’s on their cheeks and chins and all up their chest and Harry just shakes through it. Louis closes his eyes and presses in once, twice and then he’s cumming with Harry’s name trapped in his throat. He can’t breathe, buries his face in Harry’s shoulder. He thinks he’s sort of lost it too, just a little because he’s teary eyed and laughing and Harry is laughing with him.

  


“Fuck.” Louis says and he slowly slips out of Harry with a squish sound. Harry cringes but just pulls Louis close. Louis tries to pull away but Harry refuses to move.

  


“We’ve got to get cleaned… and dressed. We’ll get stuck.” Harry grumbles.

  


“Mo.” Harry murmurs against his skin and Louis laughs. He nods. He nods because he gets it. And he really didn’t want to move anyway. He just pulls Harry as close as he can, and he kisses him because that seems like a really good plan.

  


“Okay. Okay. A ‘mo it is. We’ve got all the time in the world. You and me.”

  


*

  


  


When life seems too perfect, when everything just seems to be going right, you know that things are just going to get fucked up somehow. Things can never stay perfect. It would be too… perfect of a life for everything to go right and for you to somehow come out of it with a happy ending. 

  


It turns out that they don’t have all the time in the world. Just a week after their rooftop adventures, Harry gets his last month of shifts on a calendar and his flight tickets in his hands and his heart hurts a lot more than he expected it to. He realizes that he will actually have to leave this place soon. He’s grown so used to it that it’s a comfort now to be here. It doesn’t always feel like work. He’ll miss the friends he’s made on staff. But the scariest thing for him about all this? _Louis_. He will have to leave Louis. And he knows it shouldn’t be a big deal, that he’s only known him for almost two months, but a lot has happened in those two months and he doesn’t think he knows how to live without him anymore. And that’s what really terrifies Harry, because he’s never had this happen before. It feels like with this knowledge, a part of him is dying inside. Very, very slowly and in agony.

  


He didn’t intend for it to happen this way. He doesn’t even really know he’s doing it until Niall of all people It starts with the fact that he works his shifts, but he doesn’t socialize like he normally does. He tries to avoid Niall’s bar at all cost, unless he has to go pick up a drink. He doesn’t know why he does this, often times ordering drinks from Jade’s bar instead of Niall’s just to be safe. At the end of his shifts, he scuttles to the bus to take him to the hotel where he holds himself up in his room with his books (courtesy of Louis) and loses himself in the pages. It helps to not think about the impending shit storm that he knows will surely happen. Then, he doesn’t go out to the clubs with the gang on weekends, which is odd of him because on the last few weeks of his time here you would think he would be out having the time of his life. But the one time he did go out with Niall to a bar, he came home just an hour after being out. It had gradually gotten worse. And that’s when Niall happened.

  


It’s a night when he’s midway through _Northanger Abbey_ by Jane Austen, and he’s just about to turn a page when his hotel door has a knock. That can’t be a good sign. He doesn’t move, doesn’t breathe because if he doesn’t breathe then maybe the person will go away.But he knows who’s out there. It was only a matter of time. 

  


“Open up, you fucker.” Niall shouts and Harry sighs, crossing the room and opening the door before running back to his bed and hiding under the covers. Niall simply peels them back and crawls under them with him, snuggling in. They don’t say anything until Harry finally looks at baby blue eyes full of concern.

  


“What’s going on with you?” He asks simply and Harry hides his face again.

  


“I don’t know. I don’t know.” He trembles, his hands shaking and his lip quivering. Niall just hugs him gently and hushes him softly.

  


“It’s okay. Sh. C’mon, H. You do know. I know. It’s just about admitting it out loud and figuring out what you want to do about it.” Harry whimpers. He doesn’t know why his eyes are burning. Or maybe he does. But he doesn’t want to admit it. If he admits it, it becomes real. 

  


“If I admit it… It becomes real. And I don’t know what to do.”

  


“It’s okay.” Niall says again and brushes back his matted curls.

  


“Don’t say it then. We don’t have to say it.” It comforts Harry that Niall understands and doesn’t ask because he already knows. 

  


“He’s been asking about you. Stops in every day at the bar but you’re always hiding when he does. He looks like a lost little puppy, mate. He thinks you’re mad at him because you’re avoiding him. No calls, text, talking at the bar. Are you mad at him?”

  


“Yes.” Harry says simply. But it’s not because Louis’ done anything wrong to hurt him or make him mad. And Niall knows that too. It’s just that Louis is so…. _Good._ He’s too good and it makes it so hard to hate him. 

  


“But are you really mad at him? Or yourself?” Harry doesn’t say anything. His heart is hammering. He can’t answer that. 

  


“I can’t breathe. I don’t want to be like this.” He looks up at Niall. “I’m scared and it hurts and I know it’s only going to be worse to go home. How can I save myself from it hurting Niall? How do I make it stop?”

  


“Maybe you could tell him and work it out-“

  


“No. I need the space. I need to know what it’s going to be like without him. This is just a summer thing, Niall. He won’t want me after this. They never do. I can’t be like this. It can’t happen. Not again.”

  


“Well I don’t know that you’re going to have that here, H. He’s going to keep trying.” Harry nods. He knows this. Louis doesn’t give up. He never will. 

  


“He hasn’t come to see me.” Harry says softly. 

  


“He doesn’t think you want to see him. He just wants you to come to him when you’re ready.” Harry bites his lip. His phone buzzes on the night stand and he glances over at it. He knows that it’s Louis without even looking to see who it is. It’s been Louis every time. He looks back at Niall who watches him cautiously. 

  


“I feel like I’m acting like a little kid. Am I?” 

  


“You are. But I think it’s a justified reaction… I really think you need to talk to Mama S, H.”Harry bites his lip and then nods. 

  


Niall uncurls himself from Harry’s grasp and he turns for the door. Harry watches him, emerald eyes peeking out beneath the bed sheets. Niall glances back, hand on the door handle, ready to leave. He presses his lips together, contemplating saying something. He turns to leave and the door opens. Harry blinks at him. He turns back again.

  


“Niall-“

  


“H, if you love him… I know you’ll figure this shit out.” 

  


*

  


Louis messages Harry one last time.

  


_Please. Harry, please. I don’t know what I’ve done. But this can’t be it. Don’t let this be goodbye._

  


  


_*_

He can’t breathe. He literally can’t breathe. Louis doesn’t understand what went wrong. Where he went wrong. His heart keeps pounding and his hands are shaking and he’s staring at his phone. 

  


_It has to be. I'm sorry._

  


The words are scratching themselves into his skin, inking him like a fresh tattoo. He closes his eyes but all he can see are the words flashing like giant red warnings. 

  


_Have to tell him. Can't be goodbye. Can't lose him. Have to tell him._

  


Liam floats through the door with a manic look on his face. He's got Louis' 911 emergency text. He's huffing and puffing and in swim trunks with water dripping down his legs. Louis doesn't even have it in him to comment on his Beckham style swimmers body. 

  


"What's going on." Liam pants. Louis rings his hands tightly. 

  


"I fucked up. I don't know how- or what I did. But I think I’ve lost him. How can I lose someone I don't officially have? I just want so much for him- and with him- did I push him too far? Is it the papers? I tried to stop them, I did!  Or was it the books? Did I overdo the couple-y-ness?”

  


“This is very unlike you to freak out like this. He means a lot to you, then.” Louis bites his lip and nods. That’s exactly it. He means a lot. He means too much.  

  


“You’re right. This isn't like me, Liam… I think… I think this is it. He’s the one. If it's not him- I don't know who it could be. And I'm scared. Because who the fuck falls in love in just a few months and thinks they’ve found their one? Never me. I never thought that. But here I am and…” He glances to his radio silence phone again. Then to Liam. “What if he doesn't want me? It seems like he's given up already. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

  


“Jesus. This is really it.” Liam slumps down beside him, realizing just how arse over tea kettle Louis is over this boy. Louis bites at the skin around his nails. He’s made one bleed. Liam stops him.

  


“Did he say why?” Louis shakes his head.

  


“He hasn’t talked to me in over a week. I just thought he was busy working. But I know what time he gets off. I know what bar he works at. He’s avoiding me. I don’t know what I've done. Liam, I'm really scared. And when have you ever known me to be scared? I'm Louis Tomlinson for fucks sakes. I don't get scared."

  


“It’s okay.” Liam says reassuringly rubbing his shoulders but the air punches out of his lungs as he remembers Harry and his bathroom conversation at the charity auction. 

  


_"It's okay."_

  


_“It’s not.”_

  


_“Okay.”_

  


_“Okay.”_

  


Harry was right. It wasn't okay. It isn't okay. They're not okay. Nothing will ever be okay again unless this gets fixed.  

  


"It's not okay." Louis looks at Liam. A puzzled expression crosses Liam's face, then one of what looks like doubt. His eyes meets Louis' and it makes his heart race.  

  


"Harry?" Louis breathes, gesturing to Liam's phone. He shakes his head.  

  


"Niall. About Harry. Louis. He's going home. He’s leaving. Today.”  

  


It's that moment that all his fears conquer him at once and he no longer has the energy to breathe. Harry stole his heart the moment they met, and now he was flying away with whatever was left of Louis. He had all of Louis now. And he was gone. 

  


  


*

  


His flight boards in ten minutes. He should be grateful that Josh managed to pull some strings and change the ticket to the next hour. He should be even more grateful that Josh gave him his full pay check. And a bonus. And a little to spare, for the road and for school, he’d said when Harry refused to believe it and went to tell him there was a mistake. He didn't have the heart to tell Josh this was part of the reason he was leaving. He just said that there was something important at home he had to get back to and it was last minute notice. He told Josh not to mention it to Niall, not until he was gone anyway and Josh agreed. He probably assumed Niall knew. He didn’t. Now, Harry’s standing with his backpack slung over his shoulder and watching the departure board shift his flight closer and closer to the top of the list that reads ‘boarding’. It’s only a matter of time before he can sleep for ten hours and forget the summer. It wouldn’t be easy, he knew this. He couldn’t stop thinking and the feeling of Louis’ lips grazing his shoulder. The feeling of his hand brushing through his hair with his fingers working through the matted curls. Every little touch was a constant reminder and he couldn’t shut his brain off if he tried. 

  


It wasn’t a hard decision to come home. He had called his mum just as Niall had said to and avoided calling Louis like the plague, and his mum said that she would be at the airport to welcome him home. He didn’t go into specifics, only that something had come up and he needed to leave. She didn’t press and he loved that about her. He would explain it at home. When the sign calls for all people boarding his flight, Harry starts walking to the gate he needs to board. His feet feel heavier and heavier, like lead telling him he needs to stay. But he can’t. Not this time. Once was enough. Call him stupid, but Harry never believed in the ‘fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me’ rule. If it happened twice, then he was the stupid fuck who would have to deal with it. 

  


“So that was your goodbye? You’re a reader Harry, I figured you of all people would have a better ending than that.” Harry jumps and spins. Louis is standing right behind him. He looks a mess. His hair is disheveled and haphazard, his eyes tired and dark circles line them, stubble grazing his chin and a backwards snapback thrown over his hair. He bites his lip and twists his sleeve of his sweater gently.

  


“You’re wearing a sweater… In summer. In Cuba.” Harry notes. Louis tugs his sleeves down over his hands to form sweater paws.

  


“You left the cold air on in my room and I haven’t figured out the thermostat yet. ‘Sides, my heart feels pretty frozen right now. Elsa’s done a pretty good number on it.” Harry scowls at his feet. Leave it to Louis to bring up one of their movie nights in Louis’ room watching frozen in their underwear because it was sweltering in the room. They had played that game that all kids play, the one where they assign themselves to a character. Louis demanded that Harry be Elsa. At the time, Harry thought nothing of it. But now, that comment. At a time like this? It wounded like a dagger. 

  


“Look. You’re not supposed to be here. No one was supposed to know.” Harry starts walking, and Louis follows. Harry stops. Louis stops behind him.

  


“ _‘No one was supposed to know?’_ Do you know how stupid you sound?” Louis scoffs. Harry power walks away and Louis chases after him, light sprint. 

  


“Harry, please.” Louis begs and Harry whirls around so fast Louis jumps back.

  


“What, Louis? What do you want?” Louis doesn’t say anything. “What do you want from me?” Louis shakes his head. Laughing bitterly. He shoves the snapback off his hair and shakes his head, eyes watching Harry. 

  


“Don’t you get it? You. I want you, Harry.”

  


“Until the summer’s gone and you’re done with me and then what?” Harry glares.

  


“I want more.” Louis says simply. Harry scoffs, rooting his fingers through his curls.

  


“I can’t give you more. I can never be more. I don’t know how to be what you want-“

  


“You’re making this seem like I’m trying to change you. God. Harry. All I want is for you to be happy.”

  


“And if that means I get on this plane right now and never come back?” Louis pauses for a moment. Harry can practically see his heart hammering just as hard as his own.

  


“I- I don’t know. I want to be a gentleman and say I could let you go. That I could do that if I knew it would make you happy. But I don’t think I’d be able to. I am a selfish man at it’s finest, Harry.” Harry wants nothing more than to just collapse into his arms. But that would be defeat. His next words are meant to hurt. Laced with venom and bitterness.

  


“You have to let me go, Louis. Go back to your fancy galas and auctions and pretty little prisses’ tied up in strings and your hot shot world. _You need to let me go.”_ Harry turns around and walks away, nearing his gate. He hates the feeling settling at the pit of his stomach, the ball in his throat.

  


“That’s it? You’re just going to fucking up and leave and not even explain why or what I did or… why the fuck are you shutting me out I didn’t do anything wrong! Everything was perfect. What changed?”

  


“Feelings. People. Everything.” Harry mumbles so low he knows Louis won’t hear him. “It’s not you. It’s me.”

  


“Oh don’t give me that horse shit.” Louis says bitterly. They’ve very well walked across the entire airport now. Harry’s gate is coming up on the right and now boarding. The impending explosion is bound to happen. Harry’s not sure he’s ready to say the words he’s sure will need to come. 

  


“God damn it Harry, don’t leave! Please. Please. God. I’m begging you to just stop!” Harry glances back. Louis is on his knees, begging. His eyes are wide and he looks so fucking lost Harry whimpers. It hurts to see him this distraught.

  


“Please.” Louis pants. “Stay.”

  


“Why?”

  


“Because… because I need you. I know it’s selfish but I need you, Harry. I want everything with you. I want to see you happy. It’s never been about the money in my pocket, or the times I get to spoil you. It’s the twinkle in your eyes when you see something you lvoe. The crinkle of your noise when you laugh. The dimples that shine through in every smile. It’s the words you say and the ones you don’t. The smell of your hair on my pillows. The taste of your curls in the morning when they fall in my face. Everything. Everything about you makes me a better person. I like who I am when I’m with you. I’m home.” 

  


“You can’t… This can’t…” Harry glances back at his flight. He moves to turn but looks back at Louis.

  


“Please. Please don’t let this be the end, Harry. It can’t be.” His lip quivers and tears are pooling in his eyes and all Harry wants to do is hug him. He holds back. 

  


“Im sorry.” It’s all he says, all he can say because there’s a final call for his flight and he has to leave now or the next flight isn’t for another two hours and he’ll have to wait. With Louis. Feeling things he shouldn’t feel about a guy he shouldn’t feel for. He takes a step away. Hears a garbled sob.

  


“Fuck. Please. Don’t go. Please. Please! _Harry, I love you!”_ Harry freezes misstep. Eyes glance back at Louis. He’s crying. Sobbing. Shaking and trembling, pleading him to stay. _Love._ That word. The word that brings bile to Harry’s throat. The one thatsends chills up Harry’s body. Love. Louis loves him. His mouth is floundering like a fish, opening and closing and trying to breathe. He closes his eyes. He knows what he has to do.

  


“You shouldn’t love me. I’m damaged goods.”

  


“Fuck that. You’re perfect to me. You’re everything I want. I don’t care about all the technicalities Harry. Jesus. All I want is for you to tell me you love me and hold me close. It’s all I want. All I need.”

  


“I can’t tell you that.”

  


“Why?”

  


“Because…”

  


“Because.” Louis says in a serious tone.

  


“Because I’ve been hurt before. Damaged goods. Incapable of love.”

  


“I won’t hurt you, Harry. You know that.” Louis steps forward. Harry steps away.

  


“But how do I know that? How do I know you won’t run like the others? Leave me when they find a better WAG, or an Autumn fling to replace the Summer? Or you… a boy who… who… Fuck this.” Harry surges forward and kisses Louis like his life depends on it. He tries to convey every little ‘I’m sorry’ into every move, every thumb that brushes his cheek, every tongue that gently touches his, every whimpers and knee shudder that happens. 

  


“God, I love you.” Louis breathes when he pulls away. His eyes are shut. Harry bites his lip.

  


“Goodbye, Louis.”

  


Louis opens his eyes to an empty airport, alone.

  


*

  


Louis’ flight home is a silent one, and he refuses to go into the bedroom because he knows he will break apart if he does. He’s not ready. Too soon. He sits and stares at the floor, counting dust bunnies that aren’t even there to pass the time. He looks to his right. He crumbles. Harry’s ‘teenage runaway’ sweater is laying in a heap over a pillow. He knows he’s hit rock solid bottom when the sweater falls over his shoulder, pooling around his stomach where there is so much room he’s swimming in it, and there’s tears soaking into the black fabric. It smells like Harry. It’s Harry. But it’s not. And he wants nothing more than for the boy with the eyes that light up like stars to be staring at him like he’s the moon again. But he knows, _he knows now_ , that won’t happen. The boy with the stars is gone. And this sweater is hardly enough, but it’s all he’s got. So he’ll hold on. And maybe one day he won’t feel like his heart is being ripped into a million tiny pieces. But not today. Today was the beginning of the end of the world and Louis was the epicentre of the giant kaboom. 

  


*

  


Harry thought it would be easier if he left. He thought things would settle down, that he’d be able to function. To breathe. Harry thought the pain would stop eventually. He was wrong. He was _so. fucking. wrong._

  


*

  


It takes a week’s worth of of wallowing to realize that the world wasn’t ending and that getting out of his bed might be a good idea. It takes three days after that of constant begging for Niall to convince him to come to London to visit him. It takes five seconds for him to realize what a terrible idea this is as he’s waiting at the train’s platform. He turns around to go back home, to refund his ticket, to get out of this, but his mum is standing right there behind him hands on her hips with a look on her face that makes him feel like he’s small again.

  


“Don’t even think about it.” She says and he bites his lip. It’s his mum is telling him now is not the time to second guess,so why does he feel like he’s being forced to go out and have fun? He could have plenty of fun from the comfort of his own bed and a lovely thing called Netflix. Or PornHub. Either or, he wasn’t picky. The sound of the train whistling down the track 

  


“I feel like I can’t breathe, Mum. Is it ever going to feel like I’m not asleep on my feet?” She holds her arms out for him and he falls into them, holds her tight. 

  


“It’s only been two weeks, love. It’ll go away eventually. I promise. Maybe not now, not tomorrow, not even in the next year maybe. It’s all about you and how much you really cared about that boy…” Harry looks up. That look. That stupid but knowing look is on her face and Harry pouts indignantly. 

  


“Mum…” He warns. The train is pulling into the platform now. He glances back and then looks back at her.

  


“Look, I know you. I know what this is. And so do you. It’s up to you now to decide what to do with whatever this is, babe. But go see my second son. He freaked out when you left without telling him. Called me in a right state when he couldn’t find you. I can’t believe you didn’t tell him.”

  


“He would’ve made go see _him.”_ Harry freezes. Louis. London. Louis lives in London. The recognition flashes across his face. He tries to walk away from the train, but scrappy little Anne holds her ground.

  


“What if he does that-“

  


“No.” Anne grabs him by the shoulders, spins him around and pushes him in the direction of the train. Harry swallows hard. “Harry, honestly! Stop. You’re acting like a child. Get out of the house. Visit your friend. He’s not going to do that. Hey.” She cups his cheek and his shaky hand covers hers. She brushes his tears away. He nods at her though she doesn’t say anything.

  


“Don’t. Don’t cry, darling.It won’t hurt forever. You’ll figure it out. Now go have fun.” She smiles at him and sends him off in the direction of the train. 

  


He climbs on before he can turn around again, his ticket is checked and he carries his duffel to 28L seat 3, a window seat where he can wave goodbye to his weary mother. The seat placement is fucking blow to the gut really because _he_ has the tattoo on his knuckles that Harry used to kiss- he can’t think of that now. He smiles at her though he feels like he’s dying inside. As soon as the train pulls away, he knows he’s made a mistake. He can’t escape now even if he wanted to. The least he can do is pull out a book to read. He cracks open the cover of a Hardy classic and tries to focus on the words and not the trees and cities rolling on outside the window leading him to the big city which surely will be a disaster. 

  


*

  


He hates Liam. Really, he’s more than happy to spend his night at home with a breathing bottle of Merlot or Cabernet Franc. But Liam is determined to get him out into the land of the living, and well- Louis doesn’t really have the heart at the moment to tell Liam to fuck off. At least he’s trying. Louis can’t even begin to fathom what he could’ve been doing, had the altercation at the airport gone any different. Perhaps he’d be here with-

  


“Get out of bed, you lazy sad looking fuck. Jesus, he really did a number on you. Okay, here’s the deal…” Liam throws the blankets off of Louis and throws open the blinds, whirling around to place his hands on his hips. Louis knows he’s in trouble. Liam’s got his sexy jeans on, and his sweater vest hoodie thing that Louis thinks is ridiculous and a fashion faux pas, and his fancy shoes. 

  


“I’m not going.”

  


“Oh, but you are.” Liam says disapprovingly. Louis clings to his pillow and glares at Liam. 

  


“This is probably harassment. Or something equally as cruel. Punishment is death.” Louis grumbles and Liam just pulls him off the bed and drags him out of his room and into the bathroom. He pulls Louis’ sweater off before literally shoving him into the cold running shower. Louis, shirtless and soaked in his boxers and quite possibly a bruise the size of a fucking Mars on his hip, glares up at Liam.

  


“Hey, I saved the sweater. Be happy I don’t throw it out. Now, shower, here are your clothes. Don’t come out until you’re ready to go.” Liam shuts the door, and Louis crawls out of the bath, grumbling as he pulls off his boxers and tries to throw open the door. It’s locked. From outside.

  


“God damn it Liam! Let me out!”

  


“Not until you see the light. Life moves on Lou, let’s go.”

  


“Fuck you. Twat.” 

  


Louis curses Liam as he actually crawls into a warm shower, and lets the water drift down his body before taking the time to wash and clean everything. He comes out fluffy haired and pink. He’s pretty, he knows, but his eyes are pretty bloodshot, and the bags under them make him look old. He’s in an eternal state of sad and it’s written all over his face, his stance. Louis curses Liam again when he inspects what he’s supposed to be wearing.

  


“You’re making me look like a fuck boy!” He shouts and Liam just bangs on the door. 

  


Louis jumps and starts pulling on the tight grey boxers, then his tiniest black skinnies he owns. They curve around his ass like nothing can ever compete with, and paired with a black band tank top, he doesn’t look half bad. He rolls his eyes, because only Liam would throw a red plaid flannel in there just for a decoration around his waist. He knows Liam will make him pair it with his vans, but he doesn’t feel like messing with his hair. So he simply exits the bathroom, now unlocked, and grabs his dark maroon nearly black VANs hat. When Liam comes back into the room, he looks impressed.

  


“Much better. Now, let’s get shitfaced.”

  


“Okay…” Louis sighs. Normally, this would be a common occurrence for them. The overwhelming feeling like Louis can’t breathe comes and he bites his lip to hide just how scared he is. He doesn’t even want to go out. Liam sighs and touches his cheek lightly.

  


“Look mate, you can’t hole up in your flat until you’re sixty with a wrinkly dick and no children. Let’s go forget what happened with a good drinking night, and tomorrow you can revert back to your moping. Deal?” Liam’s right, he knows. The mention of his dick though is a thought that crinkles Louis’ nose. HE does want to try. He needs to get over this. A shag might just do it. Louis nods at Liam.

  


“Okay. Just tonight?”

  


“Just tonight. We’ll watch movies tomorrow. Or Friends marathon with a lovely little magnum of Pinot. No cups. Straight from the bottle. Promise.” Liam kisses Louis’ head and Louis follows him out the bedroom door before he can even pretend to think this was ever a good idea.

  


*

  


He’s not even drunk. He drinks but he never gets drunk. Of course, he is only drinking beers and bouncing between that and water, not wanting to get into the fruity and fun filled drinks he breaks out when he’s really drunk and flirty. He’s really just not in the mood to be here. But he did it to make Liam happy. So he’s here, and he’s sitting in a booth alone while Liam dances with some bird with wavy hair, and he’s really hating he agreement with Liam to stay until at least midnight.

  


When they had got here, Liam made him promise to ‘Stay to the strike of midnight at least. Don’t be Cinderella, Louis. You’re totally Prince Charming.’ Liam’s a Disney menace. What Louis would give to be at home watching those and drinking wine. Wine made the ache hurt less and his head stop thinking better than this. He so wants to call Liam and tell him he’s going home, he changed his mind. But that would be admitting defeat and Louis doesn’t ever admit defeat. So he stays and he drinks and he watches the crowd dance and sway, and he’s absolutely miserable. 

  


He must look good though, because at least five girls and three boys have asked him to dance. He’s turned them all down, promising some dances later that will never happen if he can help it. He’s quite pitiful really. It’s Liam who pulls him on the dance floor, and not even caring, he makes Louis dance with him to a thumping beat. They’ve slept together before when drunk, and it’s not weird, not to them anyways. But the dancing makes Louis relax into Liam and lets him take the lead.

  


“You okay?” Liam whispers into his ear, and he simply nods and kisses Liam’s cheek. Liam kisses his back. Then he’s stolen away by another guy, and Louis is left in the middle of the dance floor. He looks like a lost kitten, scrounging to find a way off the dance floor. He has to pee. Find the bathroom.

  


It’s down the hall and two doors on the left, no line up whatsoever compared to the female line up, and Louis slips into a stall. He doesn’t do urinals at clubs. He also doesn’t sit down on the seat to think. He splashes water on his face and flips his hat backwards, and now he looks like a total fuck boy. Despite the heat in the club, Louis is cold. He could be catching something. Or he could just be numb. He thinks the latter. He wishes he could go grab the sweater, _his sweater_ from the coat room. Louis had made up some excuse that the sweater needed to come in case it rained and he didn’t go home with someone. He could walk back to his flat from here, so he says, just a few blocks down the street and then if he really couldn’t make the other ten blocks he’d hail a taxi or call an Uber. And Louis even paid extra to have his sweater locked in a locker which he had the key to, so no one else coat’s smell could touch it. Pitiful, he knows, but there’s only so much smelling one can do before it starts to smell like you and not like _him._

  


Back on the dance floor, Liam is grinding on a girl while a guy grinds on him, and Louis tugs him out of his grind train and into a grind cuddle of their own.

  


“I want to go home.” Louis says softly, looking up at Liam. His eyes are soft. He knows this isn’t the normal partying Louis.

  


“Okay… Yeah, let’s go, ‘m not even drunk anyways. C’mon.”

  


“No. Stay. I got this. I can make it home. Have fun. Love you.” Louis kisses the corner of his mouth and Liam watches him leave. 

  


He’s headed to the coat room to collect the sweater when he sees a flash of curls go by. He whips around and bumps into a guy with long brown braids in his hair, twirling around each other in curls. Not him. Louis bites his lip. The sweater is returned to him. He shrugs it on and scuttles out the door. The air isn’t brisk, it’s still the ending of summer here in London, but Louis shivers. The rain makes it damp. He flattens the sweater to his chest, the ‘teenage runaway’ lettering bright under the clubs outdoor lights. He sees the flash of curls again across the street. The odd thing, it’s the same height as _him,_ the same curls, the same sound. Louis runs across the street, nearly getting taken down by a grandma driving a VW station wagon and earns a honk. He waves and runs after the figure. Low voice. Rumble. Skinny jeans. _It couldn’t be. He doesn’t live here. How is he here._

  


“So I was like ‘dude, he’s a chick.’ Literally, the funniest thing was it was me.” The figure says, voice higher than Louis heard before. She laughs and it makes Louis deflate. She looks his way. Blue eyes. Definitely not him.

  


“Sorry.” Louis turns around but a hand on his shoulder stops him. The girl, tall and thin and pretty smiles her perfectly white teeth at him.

  


“Need something sweetie? I think I’ve got something you’d like.” She digs through her bra and pulls out a packet.

  


“I don’t do drugs.”

  


“You could do me. I’m the cheapest one out here, I promise.” She suggests, her hands on his wrists to put his hand on her hips. He steps away.

  


“I definitely don’t do birds. Thanks though.” He starts walking away, hearing the mumbling behind him. He’s headed in the wrong way from his flat, about a block and a half away from the right way, but he wants to be safe that the drug dealing hooker doesn’t follow him in her cat boots. Then he loops back around and slips around the back of the club to cut across the street further ahead of his hooker heist on the corner. 

  


“That’s him, alright.” The voice is there again but when he spins around, no one’s there.

  


“Bet he’s got a fat wad in that pocket.” Another voice.

  


“Bet he’s got a fat wad under those jeans.” A whisper that gives him a shudder and chills. It’s his wrist that feels it first. He whirls around with a gasp, and shriek coming to his lips but silenced.

  


“Say a word, you’re dead.” Louis closes his eyes and lets out a shaky exhale. He feels like he’s going to pee his pants. Of all the times he’d imagined himself dying, getting mugged was never on that list. He was too careful for that to happen. The one night he’s not, of course is when this happens. 

  


“Empty your pockets.” Louis opens his eyes. A man no older than him stands in front of him, the girl behind him and holding her hand over his mouth and her eyes blazing as she watches the small stack of twenties come out of his pocket. There’s only $200 there, Louis’ not dumb enough to bring wallet to a club when he plans on getting drunk enough that he can’t see. The club knows him and lets him have an open tab that he can pay whenever, the $200 was for food after the night was over. 

  


“All of them.” He holds out his hand and Louis blinks again, reaching for his back pocket.

  


“That’s everything.” He says behind the hand in a shaky voice as he hands over his phone. The girl removes her hand from his mouth and Louis trembles before him, small and frail in comparison. He won’t scream. He won’t. He’ll just wait for it to be over. Maybe they won’t kill him. The man counts the money, his face twist into a sour look. Louis’ eyes widen.

  


“This can’t be right! You’re rich! She knows! You’re loaded, where the fuck is the money, bitch?” Louis jumps back when a finger pokes him harshly.

  


“It’s all I’ve brought with me.” He says simply and the man throws the phone to the girl, stuffs the money in his pocket. Then he backs Louis up against the side of a building. Punches him in the face again and again. Then. A blade. Fuck, a god damn blade is pressed to his throat. He didn’t even see it. He gulps, the cold metal digging into his skin. He’s struggling to push away without splicing his throat open. He’s trapped.

  


“Where. The. Fuck. Is. The. Rest.” The man’s eyes are close. A dull grey colour bloodshot. He can see needle marks on his skin. A junkie pimp? Really? Of all the people Louis could get mugged by, it had to be the fucking psycho type. 

  


“Please. I don’t have anything else. I don’t have anything else, I’m sorry. Please. Just don’t kill me.” He trembles, shaking and closing his eyes, blinking back tears. The sneer is disgusting and reveals rotten teeth.

  


“Look how pitiful you are, begging for your life. Why should I spare you? You’ll be famous, the famous little rich kid, murdered at a drug interaction, troubled. Soon to be forgotten.” The switchblade moves from his neck to slash at his arm. Louis can’t even feel it but his immediate reaction is to scream, clutching his arm and pulling back to see blood. The sweater is ruined. Of course he’d worry about a sweater at a time like this. He’s fucked up. He thinks about his sisters, his brother, his mum, step dad. Harry. He thinks of Harry with each slash to his arm. He can’t move. Can’t breathe. The cuts aren’t deep but they sting, and the fucker keeps shaking beer from a bottle everywhere. After what feels like a million hours, he’s being pressed against the wall again, struggling again as the man clutches him close.

  


“You will die. You are nothing to me. Nothing to anyone. No body guard to protect you. It will be a joy to see you on the news, poor little socialite gone wild…” Really, the next words out of Louis’ mouth should’ve been begging for his life, that he’ll pay him he promises if he lets him live. But he’s done that. And it got him a hacked up arm. So the word vomit that spews out just adds fuel to the fire. 

  


“That’s if you can afford cable, you worthless puke.” He spits in the man’s face. Blood splatters. Louis’ bleeding from his mouth? The man’s eyes go red, like he’s a bull ready to take charge. Louis tries to run, but he staggers and wobbles and falls to his knees. He’s coughing now, unable to breathe from his nose and blood oozing down his face. He struggles to get up, but the man is there. And he kicks Louis back down to size. He’s too small. He lands on his sore arm and yelps. The man has already won. It was then he knew he wouldn’t make it out of this alive. 

  


“You. Fucking. Little. Shit.” Louis wheezes out a breath. Ribs are definitely cracked, if not broken.

  


The sidewalk is fuzzy to his eyes and when he glances up, the ugly faced fuck is standing above him. He can’t move. He must’ve taken down the girl in the process of stumbling, because his phone is right by his head. He lays down on it, hiding it. He swallows. All he tastes is blood. He closes his eyes. He screams, screams again and again because it’s his last chance at getting attention over here in the dimly lit street where no one is walking. He sees the blood on the blade before he knows where it’s coming from. But a searing pain is radiating up his chest, his heart beating a million times faster than normal. His ride side is on fire. He looks down. _His sweater_ is ruined. Souled with dirt. And blood. Blood everywhere. Pooling around him now. 

  


“You. Fucker. Rot in hell.” Louis chokes out, crying and screaming. 

  


_He stabbed me_ he thinks _He really stabbed me._ This was how Louis was going to die. They were gone, the money taken and the blade laying on the ground beside him in the dark and alone street. He’s alone. Louis would die alone. Louis struggles to reach under his head on his bad arm and grab the phone. He’s shaking, his entire body is on fire, his head is exploding and his breathing is fucked. He tries his best to dial a coherent number. He doesn’t have the energy to listen to the phone. He simply utters as many words as he can before choking on his own blood.

  


“Help. Stab. Please. Dying. Help.” His hand drops the phone, head lulling to the side. His eyes are wide. The pain sears him, begging him to fall under. He’ll die alone, in a street covered in blood. 

  


His eyes lull shut, but the pain continues. He presses his hand to his side, feeling the gaping wound, the blood trickling through his fingers. It’s so quiet on the street, the only sound is the rain pounding down on the ground now and washing away the blood.Louis hears something, someone around him. They talk but their voice is like a whisper to him. He doesn’t bother to move his eyes open. Not even when his body is moved. It’s being held. Though he screams in pain, he’s hushed and cooed to by a voice and he obliviously rests his head on the shoulder of the stranger. He breathes in and instead of air, he chokes on blood. It’s a terrible feeling, to choke on your own blood. It tastes horrible and he just wishes it would stop. There’s a moment he thinks he’s dead. He feels like he’s not breathing, and his heart is racing overtime, and he knows this is it. HIs final breath is coming. He knows that with each and every shuddered, choked out bloody breath he takes, he’s one step closer to dying. He’s done all he could to help himself, the major loss of blood bringing him down fast. He doesn’t want to think of death while dying. 

  


So instead, he thinks of his mother. He can imagine her getting the call. Though his father may not be on the list of most affectionate of people, his mother cries at sad parts of movies, death or break up. So the idea that she’ll get the call that her eldest son is dead? She’ll fall apart. He thinks of his sisters, all five of them. Of Ernest, his only little brother who will never learn from Louis how to become something more than just a boy with money. To become a good person. He thinks of Liam. _Oh god, Liam._ He will blame himself. He will think by dragging Louis out, by letting Louis go, he’ll think it was his fault that this happened. It was Louis’ own stupidity. He groans and coughs, blood spilling out of his mouth, dripping down his cheek. Noises again, lights behind his eyes. 

  


“Please. Hang on. God. Please. Save him.” His eyes flash open. He chokes out a sob. He knows that voice. Green eyes. So green they have the stars in them. Curls. Dimples, not smiling. Crying. Terrified. He tries to shake his head, trying to talk, but only sputtering out air, a sob and blood. He’s being moved, every time his body makes the slightest move he screams. Scrunches his eyes shut.

  


“It’s you. You’re here. How?” He croaks, eyes meeting green.

  


“It’s me. I’m here.” His head shakes, kissing his forehead. His giant hand takes Louis’ shaking one, kissing it. “I’m here, Louis. I’m here.” Louis nods. This still could be a dying hallucination. But for the time being he’s here, and it’s good. He’s okay now. Ready for whatever comes. He chokes again, this time unable to get the blood out of his throat. This. This is how he’ll die. 

  


“Oh, god. Louis. Please. _Please._ Help him. Help him! Jesus, please. I love you. I love you Louis, please stay with me. I’m here. Always.” 

  


His eyes slip closed. He doesn’t know if this is real or not. But he hopes that if this is the way he dies, that this is very real. He needs this to be real. That way, when Liam tells his story to the world, they will know about the boy who stole his heart and watched him become one of the stars in the sky. What a way to be remembered.

  


*

  


Of all the ways this night could end up, sitting in an emergency waiting room with Louis’ blood all over him was not something Harry ever expected. He doesn’t know how it happened, Somehow he managed to convince Niall to let him leave the club to go home after feigning a stomach ache from the Thai food they’d eaten before going out. Apparently, he just happened to stumble left instead of right to make it to Niall’s flat with no idea how he did it, but he did. He walked slowly down the street, looking for something familiar, and not seeing anything. He was skeptical about walking toward the shadows in the dimly lit street. But he did, and he saw everything happen from about three blocks away. The image is forever ingrained in his mind, replaying over and over. The glare of light on the blade. The stab. Louis’ body crashing to the ground. At the time, he didn’t know who it was, but Harry was running as fast as he could. Running blocks upon blocks to him, crashing to his knees in front of a slumped body. Picking up a bloody phone from the ground and giving a street name, begging them to hurry. Realizing it was Louis. Puking beside the garbage cans. Holding Louis. Holding him until the ambulance came. Having him ripped away. Watching him die. Almost. Almost die. He’s not dead yet.

  


It was Harry who made the calls to everyone, apart from Louis’ mother. He called Niall first, sobbing into the phone and through strangled breaths explained what happened. Niall was on his way the minute he heard the first choked out sob. He composes himself, knowing it won’t help him any to cry again. But then he called Liam. He hears him pick up the phone, and before Liam can say anything, Harry chokes out-

  


“Louis.”

  


“Harry? This isn’t Louis. This is Liam. How the hell did you get my number? Better yet, what the fuck do you want, mate? You don’t fucking deserve to hear about him-”

  


“Louis. It’s Louis. Something’s happened.” Liam stops mid sentence.

  


“What the fuck are you on about, mate?”

  


“It’s Louis, Liam. He’s… fuck. He’s been stabbed- He’s dying- god I tried to help him-“

  


“What.” Liam splutters, a loud crash, curses. Music. The phone’s picked back up. Another curse.

  


“Tell me you’re lying. Tell me you’re not telling me that Louis-“

  


“I wish-“ His voice breaks and he sniffles, whimpers. “I wish I could. Liam, I need you.”

  


“I’m coming. Fuck. Tell him I’m coming. Fuck. FUCK!”

  


Harry isn’t really sure what he’s supposed to do. Should he leave? He couldn’t. Not even if they threw him out. It didn’t look like they were planning on it, but he wouldn’t leave until he was arrested for resisting. He has to know he’s okay. He loves him, after all.

  


It wasn’t even a surprise to Harry, he knew. He always knew that he was gone from the moment he saw him. But he refused to believe it. He couldn’t. It would be to hard to say goodbye. It was still hard. And the love didn’t fade. It wasn’t the summer love that overtime was lost. This was a forever kind of love. Louis needs to know that.

  


He doesn’t see them coming. He also doesn’t see the fist coming either, until it’s socking him in the jaw and making him swear. Blood stains his lip and he looks up at a wide eyed shocked Liam. 

  


“Harry- oh god.” Liam falls into Harry’s arms before he can even move to stand. Niall hovers by the door, eyes wide at the sight of Harry and Liam. Liam is sobbing and Harry shushes him softly, trying to hold it together. He ignores the throb of his jaw. The blood stops, just a pain now. He worries about Liam more. A fat lip is nothing.

  


“It’s okay.” Harry calms him as best he can.

  


“It’s not.” Liam sobs.

  


“I know.” Harry sighs, brushing Liam’s growing out hair back. He sniffles and glares up at Harry.

  


“Then don’t say it’s okay. He's not okay. He's- oh god, Harry. He’s dying.”

  


“I'm so sorry-" Harry chokes out, holding Liam close. 

  


"I found him heaving at the club we were at. Apparently they were there too. When I saw him, I figured you'd called him and broke the news. He didn't have a car. We took an Uber together. Harry, I'm so sorry-"

  


"It's none of our faults." Harry says simply, more to assure himself and to reaffirm to Liam that it isn’t his fault. Liam chokes out a sob, so Harry hauls him up so he's face to face with the broken boy. Liam looks lost, unsure of what to do. Harry simply shakes his head and brushes the tears off the older boys cheeks. The youngest one holds them all together. He can’t break anymore. They need him, and it’s what Louis would want.

  


“Hey. Don't do this, Li. We can all point fingers but I know what you're doing. He wouldn't want that and you know it. It was just horrible luck."

  


"He found you. You found him. But Harry, he's gutted. Absolutely gutted when you left him. He-”

  


"If it makes you feel any better, I have been gutted too. It wasn’t easy."

  


“Funny, you made it look pretty easy when you left him after he spilled his guts, told you he loves you.” Liam says bitterly, and Harry flinches. Liam stands on his own feet, flopping down in the chair beside Harry even though he can’t look him in the eyes.

  


"He's not wrong. He's barely left his bed… I had to have his mum force him into a train to get here." Niall pitches in. Liam still glares at Harry, defence of his friend coming out in the moment of frazzled emotions. Harry nods at him. Liam raises an eyebrow. 

  


"I know. You have every right to be mad at me. I hate me too. I know I can never take back what I did. I don't intend to because Louis has never been the type to accept half assed apologies that people think he wants to hear over a real apology no one wants to hear. And even if my apology is sincere, I don’t want him to accept it. I don’t deserve it. He deserves better. And Liam… I do love him. I just didn’t want to be hurt again-“

  


“I already know, Harry.” Liam says quietly and Harry bites his lip. He looks at Niall who shakes his head, denying he’s said anything.

  


“You know what-“

  


“You’ve been hurt in the past. By someone like Louis and I. A rich socialite. Right?” Harry freezes, like he’s the one being stabbed by a dagger. He can’t breathe.Liam looks at him in the eyes, not a look of hurt or defence for Louis, more of an embarrassed look. 

  


“It was Nick Grimshaw, wasn’t it.” He states more than question. Harry’s eyes widen bigger than before. He swallows. His mouth is dry. Liam nods, accepting his silence as an answer.

  


“How did you… When… Did he know? Does Louis know?” Harry winces. Reminds himself not to talk about Louis in past tense. It makes it too real right now. Liam shakes his head. Laughs bitterly again.

  


“No, Harry. Louis doesn’t know about you and Nick. He does know Nick personally though, and I know him too. I also read the tabloids to make sure they aren’t putting shit in there about me or Louis that isn’t true. I happened to see an old magazine in me mum’s place, I saw a picture of you and Nick leaving a bar… and then it said that you disappeared from Nick’s world. It wasn’t hard to put the pieces together that he hurt you…I didn’t tell Louis any of this, it would piss him off more than anything because he knows how much of an asshat Nick can be. He also dated Nick. About the same time as you did. You both got pretty fucked up by him, it seems.”

  


“Well I’ll be damned.” Niall curses. Harry feels ill, but for an entirely different reason. Liam’s just told him that Nick dated both him, and Louis. At the same time, even. Harry knew Nick had cheated on him, it wasn’t hard to gather. Nick was a sexual man with expensive taste; surely it took no time to find someone better than Harry. Richer. He just didn’t think it could’ve been Louis. He didn’t know Louis at the time, mind. But it’s not that that’s upsetting his stomach. It’s the distraught woman with a little one on each him and four older girls surrounding her walking through the door in a panic. He knows as soon as he sees blue eyes that look so familiar who she is. Liam cracks when he sees her.

  


“Mama J. I’m so-“

  


“Have we heard anything?” She breathes out, her voice choked. Liam sniffles and looks back at Harry.

  


“Nothing yet. Last we heard, they were working on him. Potential surgery.” Harry says so softly, but it travels across the silent room. Her steely blue eyes pierce Harry’s green eyes. She presses her lips together, hair falling out of a neatly stacked bun, and she sets down the two teetering tots in the room, the four older girls corralling them to the play section. It’s far past their normal bedtime, Harry’s sure.

  


“Mark is away. He’s flying home as soon as he can. The kids-“

  


“They’ll fall asleep soon, I reckon, Mum.” The eldest, Harry’s sure of that. Her eyes are a shimmery blue much like her mum’s, pursed pink lips that smile softly and sadly at Harry. Part of him feels like she may know of him. He doesn’t know if that’s a good thing.

  


“Right then… You must be Harry.” The mother’s making eye contact again and Harry’s throat closes.

  


“Yes, ma’am. Harry Styles.” Harry stands and gestures a shaky hand out. Louis’ mum stares for a moment before she takes his hand and hauls him in, encasing him in a hug he didn’t expect. He hugs her back, the warmth of a mother’s hug calming him instantly. The tears come hot and fast and he can’t will them away.

  


“Thank you.” Harry lets out a choked sob mixed with a laugh.

  


“For what? I broke your son’s heart.” He whispers softly. She sniffles.

  


“For being there when he needed someone most. He would’ve been alone, had you not been there.”

  


“It was just a wrong turn I took. How I found him.” 

  


“A lucky turn, then.” She pulls back and looks at him. He bites his lip, wincing where he touches the tender spot Liam punched him.

  


“Honey, it’s okay.” She nods, though she doesn’t seem sure. 

  


Harry burrows into the crook of her neck again. If she knew what he did to her son, she would hate him. They all should. But for now, he lets her comfort him. They were in for a long haul, and they didn’t need a fight right now. They had to hold it together for Louis’ sake. Harry could hear him now, bitching that they’re all crying, all worried about the scrapper who could survive anything. Harry wonders if Louis’ afraid. Harry’s afraid. He talks to Louis, in his head. Willing him to make it through, to let him talk to him again. To let him fix what he broke. He tells Louis to come back to him. Most importantly, Harry tells Louis to come home. 

  


*

  


  


_It’s late; later than he should be up on a work night, but Louis’ dragged him to his suite again, and he couldn’t say no. They watch Disney’s in their underwear, eat ice cream from the tubs, and they make a pillow and blanket fort between the table and the couches, laying on pillows that feel like clouds and only the light of the TV fills the room. They eat popcorn covered in chocolate, and Harry eats from a bowl of freshly cut fruits, blueberries and grapes and raspberries and strawberries, staining his fingers and making him taste delicious when Louis kisses him._

  


_In the wee hours of the morning, when Louis’ in that sleepy cuddly sort of mood that Harry dares to leave the fort, pull the sleepy boy up from the pillows and kisses him all the way to the bedroom. The bed cocoons them. Louis’ chilled hands trail down Harry’s ribs, making him shiver and gasp. The cover pulls over them, and they’re quiet. Harry thinks Louis’ asleep, kissing his forehead as his way of saying goodnight. But Louis just hums and pulls him impossibly closer._

  


_“Where are you?” Harry softly asks, brushing the fringe back off his forehead. Louis sighs again, a smile pulling at his lips._

  


_“Home. I’m home.” Louis murmurs. Harry kisses him again._

  


_“Okay. So tell me. Where is home?” Louis presses his nose to Harry's, opens his eyes just for a moment before closing them again and kissing Harry breathless. Harry doesn’t think he’ll get an answer, Louis’ kissing slows, calms. Ceases. Breaths even out. Body relaxes into him. Harry closes his eyes, to will the sleep to him like Louis has. It’s not long before he’s drifting. But it doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel the press of Louis’ lips to his once more, and the soft words murmured in the dark._

  


_“Home. Home is here. Home is with you. You, Harry. You are my home now.”_

  


*

  


  


It’s in the wee hours of the morning when the world shifts. For the past agonizing hours, the entire room filled with Louis’ family sit. And wait. Part of Harry thinks the doctors may be prolonging the inevitable to give them hope. He can’t help but think that, even though Niall tells him to stop and think happy thoughts. 

  


  


_Happy thoughts, H. Happy thoughts._ He can hear Louis’ voice in his head now, memories flooding back like a dam bursting.

  


Harry talks to Jay. She listens to his every word with Doris wrapped in her arms, Ernest nestled in Harry’s. He had climbed up on Harry by his own choice, yawning and smiling at Harry so much like his brother it hurts. Soon, everyone is sleeping, exhausted from doing nothing and waiting. When a throat clears at the door, Harry’s the first to snap his eyes open. He shakes Jay awake and she spots the doctor, his face tired and no emotion to it. HIs heart hammers hail as he places the still sleeping Ernest in Niall’s stretching arms.

  


“Tomlinsons, I presume?”

  


“Yes.” Jay says, taking Harry’s hand. A comfort.

  


“Jay?” Jay raises her hand.

  


“Your son had substantial stab wounds, along his entire left arm, and twice to his abdomen area.” The doctor dwells on giant words Harry cannot even fathom to understand. Jay at one point closes her eyes and covers her mouth as she listens.

  


“The abdomen wounds were our biggest concern. The one managed to pierce through the rib cage and hit his lung-“

  


“Oh god.” Jay breathes out. Harry swallows and closes his eyes.

  


“He lost a tremendous amount of blood. It was a surprise to most of us that he didn’t succumb to the injuries. It’s a miracle he didn’t drown in his own blood.” Jay looks up.

  


“So you’re saying he’s okay? Just give it to us straight.”

  


“He’s stable. We’ve admitted him to the ICU. He suffered a punctured lung among his other injuries, Mrs. Tomlinson. We were able to re-inflate it, but we need to keep a close eye on him. He has yet to wake from the sedative, but if you’re ready, you can come and see him. Preferably only two people.” The doctor gestures to the door, and Jay moves, never letting the grip of Harry’s hand go.

  


“Jay, you-“

  


“You need to come. If he wakes, I’m sure the first person he will want to see is you.” Harry follows, numb. At what point is it ever okay for someone to wake up from near death and want a boy who broke his heart and watched him die over his own mother? The door to Louis’ room opens. Jay walks in swiftly. Harry freezes.

  


The room is too clean. Not at all how Louis lives in his own place. The walls are a sickly green, the floors as dirty as one could expect of a hospital room. And in the uncomfortable looking bed is Louis. He looks so small, his face pale and gaunt from the loss of blood. His body trembles and Harry wonders if he's cold. Dark blooming circles under his eyes. An oxygen mask over his nose. A bandage wrapping his entire left arm. A raw red mark around his neck. Under his hospital gown Harry knows he would see more bandages covering the worst of the stab wounds. He looks so little and frail and Harry just wants to hold him. 

  


"Louis. Sweetie. It's mum. I'm here, darling. And Harry. Harry is here. He saved you." Jay takes Louis’ hand, brushing his damp hair off his forehead. Scrapes across his cheek from where he hit the ground. Harry can see it flashing before his eyes, Louis’ body giving out and him running to him. Harry shakes his head. He didn't save him. He didn't get a chance to stop the stabbing. Watched it happen helplessly unaware and then did what he could. But if he hadn’t been there- he was just in the right place, right time. 

  


“I-“

  


“It’s okay. Talk to him. He’ll hear you. I’ll go get the girls and tell them to take the little ones home. I’ll be back.” Jay squeezes Harry’s hand and she leaves the room, sending the room into silence and a soft darkness with only the light from the hallway. Harry steps inside, closer to Louis’ bed. The machine beside Louis’ bed beeps softly, making harry jump. It doesn’t take him long to be sitting in the one chair in the room, holding Louis’ cold hand. It’s then he notices the tube going into Louis’ chest, most likely to drain the fluid in Louis’ lung. He squeezes his eyes tight.

  


“I don’t know what to do.” He breathes out, shaking. his hand like a constant weight to anchor him to the floor. “I don’t know what to do. I can’t… I can’t imagine what would’ve happened if… if you died and I had to get a call, or not even that… If I had to see it in a paper that you were killed. I see it in my mind every time my eyes close. I see you dying, I see you falling, and I feel myself running to you. I’m so grateful you didn’t die, though I suppose right now we’re not much better right now.” He kisses the cold hand in his and sniffles.

  


“God… I can’t believe this… This isn’t right… everything feels wrong. You aren’t supposed to be here. This wasn’t supposed to happen.” He rests his head on the bed, shaking it. He glances up at the small boy laying still in the hospital bed.

  


“You didn’t deserve this. I can’t live without you. I can’t think of a life without you in it. Even if you hate me, and you never want to talk to me because of what I’ve done. It would still be a better life than one where I know you’re not… I just… I wish…. I wish it was me. I wish it was me that got hurt, instead of you.. I would give anything to trade places with you. Please, come back to me… Please… I love you.” 

  


But the room stays silent, and the night drags on, and all that’s left are the empty and unsaid words left in the dark.

  


*

  


_“I wish it was me. I wish it was me that got hurt, instead of you. I would give anything to trade places with you. Please come back to me… Please. I love you.”_

  


_I hear you. I’m trying. I promise. I love you._

  


*

  


What feels like forever but in actual time is about two days, Harry is exhausted. He refuses to leave, wanting to make sure a familiar face is here when Louis wakes up. He made sure he was out of the way so nurses can run vitals and not disturb them. He’s determined. But he falls asleep at some point in the night, his head resting against the side of the bed and pressed into the tear streaked spot on the blankets. 

  


“H…” A person coos softly. They ruffle his hair and it makes him sigh, then flinch, then sit up straight with wide eyes. Blue. So blue. “I ruined your teenage runaway sweater. I’m sorry.”

  


“Oh… Louis…” Harry tries not to throw himself, but he’s holding Louis tight and doesn’t let go. “You’re a git. I don’t care about my sweater. I’ll get a new one. Jesus. I only care that you’re okay.” He pulls back and sits down, Harry squeezes the warm hand in his now. Louis swallows and sighs, heavy breaths. He closes his eyes, wincing and whimpering as he shifts his spot. Harry watches closely. 

  


“It’s… it’s okay…” Louis croaks out. 

  


“Does it hurt?” Louis hums, shifting in his spot again, wincing. Harry holds his hand tightly. As if the thought of letting him go meant everything would go bad again. “I’ll go get a nurse-“

  


“Was just here. She knows I’m awake… S’okay. Is my mum here?” Louis asks softly, and Harry freezes.

  


“Jesus, yeah. Um, they’re all pretty much here- your dad’s flown in too, I’ll go-“

  


“No!” He groans as his stomach pulls when he jumps just the slightest to stop Harry from leaving. He’s gasping and Harry bites his lip.

  


“I’m sorry I-“ 

  


“No, it’s okay. Just- don’t leave. Please. I just-” Louis swallows hard again. 

  


“It’s okay.”

  


“It’s not.”

  


“I know.”

  


“Fuck.” Louis winces when he tries to press his left hand to his eyes. Harry swipes away the tears falling from his cheeks.

  


“Harry-“

  


“It’s okay. We don’t have to- we’ve got time.” Harry rubs his hand gently. Louis closes his eyes.

  


“No… please. I need to know-“

  


“You do. You deserve to know.” Harry feels as if he knows what he means the moment he says it.

  


“I heard you.” Louis tells him softly.

  


“You heard me.” Harry breathes out as if he can’t quite believe it. He bites his lip to keep from smiling.

  


“I came back… to you, H.” Louis says with a small smile. Harry chokes out a laugh that sounds like a sob.

  


“I love you.” Louis’ grip tightens on his hand. It’s shaky, but firm. His heart monitor beeps. Harry watches him carefully.

  


“Harry don’t-“

  


“No. It’s okay. Just let me okay?” Louis nods. Harry swallows and meets his eyes. 

  


“I love you. I really do. I’ve loved you from the very beginning, I think. And I’m not just saying this because… I’m saying this because I didn’t have the balls to before and even if you hate me now, I’ll still be loving you. I’m an idiot, and I let my past dictate my future. I was hurt… by someone in your world a few years back.”

  


“In my world?” Louis’ voice is teasing and light, but Harry shakes his head.

  


“You know him… dated him apparently. The thing is, what he did made me think that all people who were rich, socialite status, they were all like him… backstabbing cheating bastards with more money than brains. And I should’ve known that it wasn’t like that. I am an idiot of all things. But I knew you were different the moment I met you, and that scared me that I could trust you. I didn’t want to. And when you told I was home to you- Louis, that petrified me. I think moreso because I felt the same way about you and just didn’t want to admit it. So I was an idiot, again. I pulled away from you, to save myself from that hurt again. But it only hurt me more to be away from you. And it hurt you too. Something I never ever wanted to do. I should’ve known Lou, I should’ve known you were different.”

  


“Har-“

  


“I’ve regretted it ever since, because I really fucking love you. And I’m not afraid of that anymore. I want you. This. Us. I want to come home to you. If you’ll have me.” His lip quivers. The tears threatening to spill line his eyes and they fall as soon as he sees Louis’ face. Because he knows.

  


“Oh, H… Come here.” Louis holds his good arm out, and Harry gently falls into him, sobbing.

  


“Louis. Oh, Louis.”

  


“I love you, H.”

  


“You shouldn’t though. I’m damaged goods.” Harry whimpers.

  


“But I love you still. Won’t change.”

  


“Thank you.” Louis sighs. He grimaces and Harry pulls away, wiping his eyes. He’s glancing at the dripping IV bag. Harry knows he wants to hit the button for pain meds.

  


“I should go get your mum-“

  


“Nah. Tell her I woke up, that things are okay, and I’ll see her when I wake next. Promise.” Louis clicks the button by his side. A minute later he’s sighing in relief, and his eyes are distant and foggy.

  


“Don’t go anywhere, okay?”

  


“I’m home, where else would I ever want to go?” Louis smiles, nods, and his eyes droop gently closed. Harry watches him sleep, but this time, he’s feeling good. Happy. Loved. Happy. _Home._

  


*

  


Harry doesn’t leave. He promised he wouldn’t go anywhere, and so he stays. He stays when they take the chest tube out. He stays when the stitches get itchy. He stays even when Louis gets grumpy because he’s in pain but they’ve taken him off the morphine. He stays the two weeks that Louis is recovering in the hospital. And the day that Louis gets out, he cancels his bus ticket home, and stays by Louis’ side for another week.

  


Louis’ flat is huge. Bigger than the suite in Cuba, bigger than Harry’s little dorm room back home by a million, or his family’s house for that matter. Still, he helps Louis around and gets to sleep in his bed with him and it’s all too good. The feeling of wrapping Louis up in his arms and holding him through the night, comforting each other through their nightmares. The ones that haunt Louis every night and the ones that keep Harry awake. 

  


“It’s okay. I’m here, you’re safe now.” Louis whimpers in his arms when he says this, slowly turns around and curls into him. 

  


“What are you dreaming about?” Harry asks softly, thinking Louis is asleep.

  


“You.” Harry freezes.

  


“What about me?”

  


“You have to leave soon.” Louis says softly. Harry sighs. He has to return home in the morning, his last year of college starts next week and he has to be ready to move back into his dorm. 

  


“But I’ll be back. Every weekend. Just like we planned.” Not that it was Harry’s idea, but Louis had talked him into it. If this was going to work, Harry would have to learn that Louis was going to spoil him 

  


“But you keep them away…” Louis breathes. The nightmares. 

  


“Well do that Skype call like we talked about. Fall asleep together and everything. And you can come distract me whenever you want.”

  


“Not the same.”

  


“I know love, but we’ll make it.”

  


“And you’ll come home to me, right?” Harry kisses him. He can’t not kiss him. 

  


“Always. That’s a promise.”

  


  


*

  


The next morning they’re at the train station, and the trains boarding, and Louis still won’t let him go. He’s not ready to see him off yet. 

  


“I’ve got to go, babe.” Harry pulls him close, kissing him again. 

  


“No. Stay.” Louis murmurs.

  


“I can’t… God. I’m going to miss you.”

  


“It’s not okay.”

  


“I know.”

  


“But it will be, right?”

  


“Right.” Harry nods. Louis nods. He lets go. Harry takes him in. Short, wrapped up in a beanie and sweater. Harry’s sweater. Not the ‘teenage runaway’ one, but a heavy cable knit grey one that falls off him and swims and gives him sweater paws. Harry has to kiss him again.

  


“Look, your trains doing last call.” Louis mumbles. Harry shakes his head.

  


“This year will fly by, I promise.” Louis nods against his forehead.

  


“But just for good measure…” Louis takes Harry’s hand in his, pressing something cool to his palm.

  


“To always help you remember to come back home.” Harry has to board the train before he looks in his palm. A black leather chain. A compass pendant pointing to home. Just like Louis’ tattoo. Harry looks out the window to see Louis standing right at the edge of the platform, big eyes. A silver ship sits around his neck. 

  


The train pulls out of the station. 

  


The compass tells Harry to turn around as he leaves home behind him. 

  


*

  


_Nearly one year later…_

  


  


  


It’s a long and agonizing year, but there’s only a month left, and then Harry is officially done school back home. And Louis hates that he’s so needy for him, but the idea of Harry living with him permanently? It’s safe to say Louis is anxious and excited and all he wants is for the year to be over so he can officially live with the man child he loves so desperately it hurts. He’s got battle scars to prove that. Or at least that’s what he tells himself they’re from. They’re bright pink and Louis hates them, coursing up and down his arms like vines and the two along his side that look exactly like what you would think they’d be. THey’ll heal, never completely fade because they were too deep, but Harry says that maybe Louis can get a sleeve tattoo, turning his battle scars into a work of art, and Louis could get a matching tattoo with Harry on his ribs to hide the other ones. But part of Louis wants to keep them bare and clean and free of ink. They’re part of him now, a part of him he’ll have forever. He wants to remember them, be proud that he survived, embrace them.

  


Louis never realized just how quiet his house was until Harry left. There’s no one cooking him breakfast in the morning before they go out for a jog, good to keep Louis’ lungs in working order. There’s no one singing in the shower, or to talk to when the nights are long and he can’t sleep, even if he is on medication to help him sleep without the night terrors. He’s lonely, and Louis should probably get a cat, or at least a fish so he has someone else to talk to. Though how do you know what a fish is saying when all it does is float in water? These are the things that riddle his mind at night.

  


_We need to get a cat. I’m lonely._

  


_Okay._

  


_Okay? We’re not even going to debate this? Harry, this is talking about bringing a new addition into our family._

  


_As long as it’s allowed to sleep in the bed with us, I’m good._

  


_Deal._

  


  


So they’re getting a cat, apparently. He doesn’t know what Harry’s doing, or what he’s thinking right now, and he really wished he did, but he promised he’d be good and not message much this weekend, knowing Harry is doing his exam prep. It’s boring in the flat alone, but Liam’s gone on a date and Niall’s just Niall. Louis feels like a thirty year old single woman. That can’t be good. He knows it’s seriously not good when it’s ten o’clock at night, he’s watching _Desperate House Wives_ and contemplating that bottle of Merlot in his wine fridge. But his meds are kicking in and he knows the wine will fuck him up, probably, and he’s yawning so bad his eyes water. He decides he can watch TV in his room until he passes out.

  


_Going to bed. Love you. Xx_

  


_Wait._

  


Wait? Usually when Louis says this, he’s told to get some good sleep and that he’ll be called in the morning. But still, he waits. A minute later, Harry’s face, his fucking frog googly eyed face is staring at Louis through his phone’s camera and fuck he looks perfect and it makes Louis sad and happy all at once. He’s pale, cheeks pink and wrapped up in his soft winter waistcoat Louis sent him with the blue beanie Louis loves, he looks too perfect to handle. 

  


“Hey you.” Harry says in his soft voice. He’s walking, Louis can tell. He’s glad he switched Harry’s bill over to him so they can FaceTime whenever they want. Harry didn’t even argue. 

  


“Hi.” Louis flutters his eyelashes and yawns again.

  


“They’re working, then.” Harry notes and Louis nods. Finally.

  


“I’m lonely and sleepy and in desperate need of a cuddle. Come home.” Louis rests his head back on the couch 

  


“Okay.” Harry says simply and Louis cracks an eye open.

  


“Don’t fuck with me, you bastard.”

  


“Funny, I wasn’t joking.”Harry steps into a building. Then an elevator. And Louis’ heart is racing.

  


“Harry?” Louis scrunches his eyebrows. He can’t be. Harry disconnects the call, and a knock is at the door. Louis freezes, looks down at his phone. Grins. Runs to the door like a little idiot and throws his arms around his boy for the first time in months.

  


“You’re here.” Louis breathes, kissing him and kissing him and laughing and oh look he’s crying too. “Are you really here? It’s not my meds making me fucking psycho?” Harry laughs, a choked sort of noise.

  


“No. I’m home. For good.” Louis yanks back. Eyes wide.

  


“For. Good… Like-“

  


“All of my stuff is already here, isn’t it?” They had been sending his things in boxes for weeks, months even. He kept the bare minimum in his dorm. And that was coming up behind him in the elevator by the bellhops. 

  


“Oh. Oh my god!” Louis can’t contain himself. He jumps and Harry swings him around, laughing.

  


“I’m happy you’re happy.” Harry says softly, kissing him right by his eye, where he loves Louis’ little crinkles.

  


“Jesus I love- did you hear that?” Harry freezes, raising an eyebrow at Louis. 

  


“Hear what?” Harry asks. He hears it again.

  


“A- I swear I’m hearing a fucking ca- oh my god Harry you didn’t.” Louis covers his mouth because being pulled from his sweaters pocket is a little tiny black fluff ball. It meows at Louis softly whose eyes flicker back to Harry’s.

  


“Ah but I did. You said you were lonely, I thought we’d both come home.” He pulls the fluff ball up to his face, brushing it gently with his cheek. It’s purring, the little thing. Louis watches, biting his lip while Harry nuzzles the kitten.

  


“He doesn’t have a name, but I think he looks like a little Berlioz. ” 

  


“Are you kidding me? You’re ridiculous.” Louis laughs, taking the little tiny kitten in his hands. He’s so little, but he’s feisty, biting at Louis’ fingers. Louis’ eyes are filling up. “He does sort of look like a Berlioz. Like a little pianist no doubt.” Harry laughs and holds Louis close.

  


“This is real, right? I’m not dreaming?”

  


“No, you’re not dreaming, I promise. You’re stuck with me, and this little guy forever now. I hope you can deal with us. This one snores.”

  


“So do you.” Louis nudges him with his nose and Harry squawks indignantly.

  


“I do not. How very dare you.”

  


“It’s manly, darling. Would I lie to you?” Harry kisses him. He can’t even try to think of a reason to complain.

  


It’s after setting up food and water for Berlioz, even a bed that he surely won’t use that they make their way to bed. Louis falls asleep without a doubt in his mind that a snoring cat at his feet and a snoring man child holding him close is the happiest feeling on this Earth. It feels like home.

  


  


_fin._

  


  


  


  


  


**Author's Note:**

> [find me on tumblr](http://www.tippytoetomlinstyles.tumblr.com/)


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